5 Downtown Department Stores that Don't Exist Anymore
Five flagship downtown department stores that don't exist anymore.
1) Cohen Brothers
Cohen Brother's "Big Store" in 1939. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51293
Cohen Brothers was founded in 1867 by brothers Samuel and Morris Cohen. The store began as a small log cabin on Bay Street between Main and Ocean Streets. When other brother, Jacob Cohen, joined the business, it would become the anchor pulling, retail core of downtown. In 1912, they opened a flagship 300,000 square foot department store on Hemming Park; the ninth largest in the country.
In 1959 the company would be bought out by May Department Stores, and would become May-Cohens. A declining downtown retail base and high cost to maintain the "Big Store" eventually led to its permanent closing in 1987.
2) Sears “Cadillac” Store
Over 40,000 attended the 1959 grand opening of West Bay Street's Sears, Roebuck and Company store. This department store was a towering five stories and 260,000 square feet in size. This, along with the fact that this location was home to the largest auto accessory department in the nature, gave this Sears its nickname—“The Cadillac Store.” This department store was also the first of its kind to feature a sit-down restaurant and a personal surface parking lot. By 1972, it was the leading location in volume of sales in the retail chain's 13-state Southeast territory. However, downtown's decline during the late 1970s and a chance to relocate to Regency Square Mall, led to the store's closure in 1981.
3) Ivey's
Ivey’s, or J.B. Ivey & Company began in 1900 as a company in North Carolina. It would expand over the years, opening up in Jacksonville in 1962 as part of the Robert Jacobs Downtown Center development. Ivey’s was a six story, 180,000 square foot department store that feature a free parking garage and restaurant. It was the store’s first downtown location to open up in almost thirty years. During the 1970s, an enclosed multi-level retail galleria mall, connecting the store with May-Cohens was proposed in an attempt to save downtown retail. However, that proposal would never become reality. Unfortunately, conversion of Hemming Park to Hemming Plaza hurt business to the point that Ivey’s closed their doors in downtown for good on July 13, 1985.
4) JCPenney
JCPenney, F.W. Woolworth Company and the Robert Meyer Hotel. Photo courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/163677
JCPenney’s began as a Wyoming company by founder James Cash Penney in 1902. JCPenney's first downtown store opened at the intersection of East Bay and Main Streets in 1933. In 1955, that store was replaced with a three-story, 90,000 square foot store facing Hemming Park on North Hogan Street. This location was connected to another store and flourished for quiet sometime.
Unfortunately, like Ivey’s, street closures from the conversion of Hemming Park, ended up driving the final nail in the coffin of this downtown department store on October 26, 1985.
5) Furchgott's
Women waiting outside Furchgott's in 1949. Photo by Jack Spottswood. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51259
Furchgott's was founded by Leopold Furchgott in 1868. Its flagship store opened on October 8, 1941, at the intersection of West Adams and Hogan Streets. Furchgott's five-story, 60,000 square foot store was the first in Jacksonville to have elevators. It's first floor was said to be as American as cheese and apple pie. Like Cohens, Furchgott's was considered a longtime Jacksonville institution.
Furchgott's shut down its flagship store at 130 West Adams on March 31, 1984. At the time, the chain said it would eventually reopen a smaller one-story store in the space. Those plans failed to materialize by the time the longtime Jacksonville chain closed for good on May 8, 1985.
Article by Kristen Pickrell
Cohen Brother's "Big Store" in 1939. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51293
Cohen Brothers was founded in 1867 by brothers Samuel and Morris Cohen. The store began as a small log cabin on Bay Street between Main and Ocean Streets. When other brother, Jacob Cohen, joined the business, it would become the anchor pulling, retail core of downtown. In 1912, they opened a flagship 300,000 square foot department store on Hemming Park; the ninth largest in the country.
In 1959 the company would be bought out by May Department Stores, and would become May-Cohens. A declining downtown retail base and high cost to maintain the "Big Store" eventually led to its permanent closing in 1987.
2) Sears “Cadillac” Store
Over 40,000 attended the 1959 grand opening of West Bay Street's Sears, Roebuck and Company store. This department store was a towering five stories and 260,000 square feet in size. This, along with the fact that this location was home to the largest auto accessory department in the nature, gave this Sears its nickname—“The Cadillac Store.” This department store was also the first of its kind to feature a sit-down restaurant and a personal surface parking lot. By 1972, it was the leading location in volume of sales in the retail chain's 13-state Southeast territory. However, downtown's decline during the late 1970s and a chance to relocate to Regency Square Mall, led to the store's closure in 1981.
3) Ivey's
Ivey’s, or J.B. Ivey & Company began in 1900 as a company in North Carolina. It would expand over the years, opening up in Jacksonville in 1962 as part of the Robert Jacobs Downtown Center development. Ivey’s was a six story, 180,000 square foot department store that feature a free parking garage and restaurant. It was the store’s first downtown location to open up in almost thirty years. During the 1970s, an enclosed multi-level retail galleria mall, connecting the store with May-Cohens was proposed in an attempt to save downtown retail. However, that proposal would never become reality. Unfortunately, conversion of Hemming Park to Hemming Plaza hurt business to the point that Ivey’s closed their doors in downtown for good on July 13, 1985.
4) JCPenney
JCPenney, F.W. Woolworth Company and the Robert Meyer Hotel. Photo courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/163677
JCPenney’s began as a Wyoming company by founder James Cash Penney in 1902. JCPenney's first downtown store opened at the intersection of East Bay and Main Streets in 1933. In 1955, that store was replaced with a three-story, 90,000 square foot store facing Hemming Park on North Hogan Street. This location was connected to another store and flourished for quiet sometime.
Unfortunately, like Ivey’s, street closures from the conversion of Hemming Park, ended up driving the final nail in the coffin of this downtown department store on October 26, 1985.
5) Furchgott's
Women waiting outside Furchgott's in 1949. Photo by Jack Spottswood. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51259
Furchgott's was founded by Leopold Furchgott in 1868. Its flagship store opened on October 8, 1941, at the intersection of West Adams and Hogan Streets. Furchgott's five-story, 60,000 square foot store was the first in Jacksonville to have elevators. It's first floor was said to be as American as cheese and apple pie. Like Cohens, Furchgott's was considered a longtime Jacksonville institution.
Furchgott's shut down its flagship store at 130 West Adams on March 31, 1984. At the time, the chain said it would eventually reopen a smaller one-story store in the space. Those plans failed to materialize by the time the longtime Jacksonville chain closed for good on May 8, 1985.
Article by Kristen Pickrell