Wanamaker's facts for kids
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John Wanamaker Store
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The Grand Court
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1300 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 |
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| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Thompson, Starrett Co.; Daniel Burnham |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002459 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 2, 1978 |
| Designated NHL | June 2, 1978 |
The John Wanamaker Department Store was one of the very first department stores in the United States. It was started by John Wanamaker in Philadelphia. This store was very important in shaping how retail stores work today. For example, it was the first store to use price tags!
At its peak in the early 1900s, Wanamaker's also had a large store in New York City. Both stores had huge teams of employees. By the end of the 20th century, there were 16 Wanamaker's stores. After many changes, the company was bought by Albert Taubman. Later, in 1995, Wanamaker's became part of Hecht's, which was a brand of the May Company. In 2006, the famous Philadelphia Wanamaker's store became Macy's Center City. This building is now a National Historic Landmark.
Contents
The Story of Wanamaker's
How It All Started
John Wanamaker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1838. He couldn't join the U.S. Army during the American Civil War because of a cough. So, he decided to start a business career instead.
In 1861, John and his brother-in-law, Nathan Brown, opened a men's clothing store in Philadelphia called Oak Hall. After Brown passed away in 1868, Wanamaker ran the business by himself. Eight years later, Wanamaker bought an old Pennsylvania Railroad station. He wanted to turn it into a huge new store. He imagined it like the famous markets in London and Paris. He called his new store the "Grand Depot."
The Wanamaker's Grand Depot opened in 1876. This was just in time for people visiting Philadelphia for the American Centennial Exposition. The store even looked like one of the fancy buildings at the fair! In 1877, the inside of Wanamaker's was updated. It started selling not just men's clothes, but also women's clothing and other goods. This was Philadelphia's first modern department store. It was also one of the first in all of America.
The store had a round counter in the middle. Around it were circles with 129 different counters of goods. The store also took orders by mail.
New Ideas for Shopping
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John Wanamaker had new ideas for how to run a store. When he was young, a merchant refused to let him return something he bought. This made him think about how he would treat customers. He was a Christian and chose not to advertise on Sundays.
Before his Grand Depot opened, he let a preacher use the building for meetings. Wanamaker's advertisements were always honest. He always kept the promises he made in them.
Wanamaker promised the quality of his goods in writing. He also let customers return items for their money back. He even opened the first restaurant inside a department store! John Wanamaker also invented the price tag.
He made sure his employees were treated with respect. They were not to be yelled at in public. John Wanamaker & Company also offered its employees special training. They had free medical care, fun places to relax, and even shared in the company's profits. They also had pension plans for retirement. These benefits were very new for companies at that time.
Wanamaker's was known for many "firsts." It was the first department store to have electric lights (in 1878). It was also the first store with a telephone (in 1879). In 1880, it was the first to use pneumatic tubes. These tubes used air pressure to send cash and papers around the store.
The Grand New Store
In 1910, Wanamaker built a brand new, huge store in Philadelphia. It was on the same spot as the old Grand Depot. The new store was designed by architect Daniel H. Burnham. It had 12 floors, with nine floors for shopping. It also had many open areas and two lower levels. The whole store was nearly two million square feet!
This amazing store featured the Wanamaker Organ. This huge pipe organ came from the St. Louis World's Fair. It was one of the biggest organs in the world at the time. The organ was placed in the store's main area, called the Grand Court. This area was covered in marble. Another item from the St. Louis Fair in the Grand Court is a large bronze eagle. This eagle quickly became a symbol of the store. It was also a favorite meeting spot for shoppers. People would just say, "Meet me at The Eagle," and everyone knew where to go. President William Howard Taft officially opened the new store on December 13, 1911.
Even though the organ was huge, it wasn't quite big enough to fill the Grand Court with music. So, Wanamaker's hired its own team of organ builders. They made the organ bigger several times over many years. The "Wanamaker Organ" is now the largest working pipe organ in the world. It has about 28,750 pipes! It is famous for its beautiful, orchestra-like sound and its incredible power. The organ is still in the store today. Free concerts are held twice every day except Sunday. Visitors can also see the organ's control area and meet the staff after concerts. Once a year, usually in June, there is a special "Wanamaker Organ Day." This is a free concert that lasts most of the day.
News of the Titanic sinking was sent to Wanamaker's wireless station in New York City. This news was then shared with worried crowds waiting outside. This was another first for an American retail store. Public Christmas caroling in the store's Grand Court began in 1918.
Other new ideas included sending buyers to Europe each year. They would find the newest fashions. The store also had the first White sale (in 1878). They also had other special sales like the "Opportunity Sales" in February. These sales helped keep prices low and sales high. The store even broadcast its organ concerts on its own radio station, WOO, starting in 1922.
Changes Over Time
After John Wanamaker passed away in 1922, his family continued to own the business. His son, Rodman Wanamaker, made the stores famous for art and beautiful items from around the world. The stores continued to do well for a while.
Over time, Wanamaker's started to lose business to other stores like Bloomingdale's and Macy's. In 1978, the Wanamaker family sold the company to Carter Hawley Hale Stores. They tried to update the stores, but customers didn't come back.
Later, in 1986, the Wanamaker's chain was sold to Woodward & Lothrop. This company was owned by shopping mall owner A. Alfred Taubman. He also spent millions on store updates and advertising. But this didn't help much either. The Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia was partly turned into office space. The famous Crystal Tea Room restaurant was closed to the public.
Woodward & Lothrop went bankrupt in 1994. The Wanamaker stores were then sold to the May Department Stores Company in 1995. The Wanamaker's name was removed from all stores and replaced with Hecht's. In 1997, the Philadelphia store became Lord & Taylor. Finally, in August 2006, the store became Macy's. The New York Wanamaker's store became Kmart by 1996.
The Wanamaker's flagship store in Philadelphia, with its famous organ and eagle, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It is still a very special place for shopping. In 1992, a group called the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ was started. They help to keep the famous pipe organ in good condition.
Macy's has continued many of the old Wanamaker traditions. This includes the Wanamaker Organ concerts and the Holiday Pageant of Lights Christmas Show. In 2008, Macy's celebrated its 150th birthday in the Philadelphia store. They had a concert with the Wanamaker Organ and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Christmas Light Show
In 1956, the Philadelphia Wanamaker's started a Christmas Light Show. This was a huge display of music and blinking lights, several stories high. You could see it from many levels of the building. The best view was from the ground floor. This show became very popular with families and tourists. It has continued every year, even as the building changed owners.
For many years until 1994, the deep voice narrating the show was John Facenda. He was a famous news reporter from Philadelphia. He was also known as the voice of NFL Films. His words and dramatic voice were a big part of the show. From 2006, Julie Andrews became the show's narrator. Also in 2006, the Santa Express Train returned to the top of the Grand Court.
In 2007, the entire Christmas Light Show was updated. Macy's Parade Studio rebuilt it with lighter materials and LED lights. In 2008, a new and bigger Magic Christmas Tree with LED lights was added.
What's Inside the Store
- Ground floor: Here you'll find the 2,500-pound "Durana" bronze eagle statue. It was made by a German sculptor for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exhibition. John Wanamaker bought it. For many years, Philadelphians would say, "Meet me at the eagle" when they wanted to meet at Wanamaker's.
- 3rd floor: The Egyptian Hall auditorium is behind the executive offices. There is also a Greek Hall auditorium.
- 8th floor: The toy department used to have a Rocket Express monorail. Kids could ride it around the whole department from 1946 to 1984. One of the monorail cars is now at Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum. This floor also had a camera department and a piano and organ department.
- 9th floor: This is where the Crystal Tea Room is located.
- 10th floor: The store used to have its own doctor and nurses here.
- 12th floor: This was the Wanamaker Organ Shop. Here, experts worked to make the Wanamaker Organ even bigger.
- Lower floors: These floors used to have "The Downstairs Store," a post office, lost and found, and a shoe repair shop. There was also a Dairy Bar restaurant. This area later became a parking garage.
- The store also had its own radio broadcasting station.
- There was a model house on the furniture floor.
- It is home to the world's largest playable pipe organ.
The Crystal Tea Room
Wanamaker's was also home to the Crystal Tea Room restaurant on the 9th floor. It closed to the public in 1995. It was later restored as a private banquet hall. It can now hold up to 1,000 people for events. A Wanamaker's guidebook from the 1920s said the Crystal Tea Room was the largest dining room in Philadelphia. It was also one of the largest in the world. It could serve 1,400 people at one time. It served breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. The kitchen's big ovens could roast 75 turkeys at once! The facility also had lockers and baths for the employees. John Wanamaker supported temperance, so alcohol was not served in the Tea Room until after his family sold the store.
There was also a balcony cafe called the Terrace on the Court. It was on the third floor facing the Grand Court. Shoppers could listen to the Wanamaker Organ while they ate. Macy's closed this restaurant in 2008.
Images for kids
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Albert Leo Stevens ascends from Wanamaker's in New York City in 1911
See also
In Spanish: Wanamaker's para niños
