Market East, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Market East corresponds to the area along Market Street between Arch Street to the north, Chestnut Street to the south, Juniper Street to the west, and 6th Street (Independence Mall West) to the east. The area serves as one of the major retail centers in the city as well as the home of the Pennsylvania Convention Center
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is a multi-use public facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which is designed to accommodate conventions, exhibitions, conferences and other events.-History:...
.
Retail
The Market East area has served as one of Philadelphia’s retail hubs since at least the early 19th century, when groups of merchants, farmers, and fisherman set up shops and stalls along Market Street, then known as High Street, west of the Independence Hall area. Many of these merchants, driven by profitseeking or city regulations, began to seek more permanent facilities. Among these were Philadelphia's flagship department stores: John Wanamaker'sJohn Wanamaker
John Wanamaker was a United States merchant, religious leader, civic and political figure, considered by some to be the father of modern advertising and a "pioneer in marketing." Wanamaker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Biography:He was born on July 11, 1838.He opened his first store in...
Wanamaker's
Wanamaker's
Wanamaker's department store was the first department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the first department stores in the United States. At its zenith in the early 20th century, there were two major Wanamaker department stores, one in Philadelphia and one in New York City at Broadway...
and Justus Clayton Strawbridge and Isaac Hallowell Clothier's Strawbridge and Clothier, both opened in the earliest days of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Along with Lit Brothers
Lit Brothers
Lit Brothers was a moderate priced department store based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Samuel and Jacob Lit opened the first store at Eight and Market Streets in 1893....
, Snellenburg's, Gimbels and Frank & Seder, the six block corridor was once home to six major department stores. Other merchants set up shop along Market Street, and Chestnut street, one block parallel to the south. Many grocers moved their stalls from the median of Market Street to the two main markets at 12th and Market Streets, known as the Farmers' Market and the Franklin Market.
Transportation
The area also served as a transportation hub for Philadelphia’s two largest rail operators, the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and the Reading Railroad. The Pennsylvania moved in first, building a freight depot at 13th and Market Streets. But the company abandoned the site by 1875 for locations at Broad Street Station
Broad Street Station (Philadelphia)
Broad Street Station at Broad & Market Streets was the primary passenger terminal for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1881 to the 1950s...
and part of the western bank of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, leaving the site to become the home of Wanamaker’s.
In 1889, the Reading moved its headquarters and main Philadelphia train depot to a new facility, Reading Terminal
Reading Terminal
The Reading Terminal is a complex of buildings located in the Market East section of Center City in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
, at 12th and Market Streets. The railroad bought out the Farmers' Market and Franklin Market and built a new facility for the markets underneath the trainshed called the Reading Terminal Market
Reading Terminal Market
Reading Terminal Market is an enclosed public market found at 12th and Arch Streets in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over one hundred merchants offer fresh produce, meats, fish, groceries, ice cream, flowers, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, and specialty and ethnic foods...
.
Several trolley lines and the Market Street Subway
Market-Frankford Line
The Market–Frankford Line is a rapid transit line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority .-Route:The Market–Frankford Line begins at 69th Street Transportation Center, in Upper Darby...
also served the area.
Corporate presences
Philadelphia Savings Fund Society
The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society , originally called the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, was a savings bank headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. PSFS was founded in December 1816, becoming the first savings bank to organize and do business in the United States...
(PSFS), who opened their signature headquarters on the southwest corner of 12th and Market Streets, the PSFS Building, in 1932. The federal government also established a presence on the parcel bounded by 9th, Market, Chestnut, and 10th Streets, with a Federal Reserve regional headquarters, United States Courthouse, and postal facilities, as well as other government agencies, all mainly built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Postwar changes
The area remained relatively stable until the late 1940s and early 1950s, when shifts in demographics caused a decline in the area's business, due to increased suburbanization and the trend in the retail sector away from the inner city and more towards the suburban malls and shopping centers. Along with the decline, a sizeable amount of land on the western side of Center City, in the neighborhood now known as Penn CenterPenn Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Penn Center is the heart of Philadelphia's Central Business District. It derives its name from the nearly five million square foot office and retail complex that helped transform it from a gritty industrial and low-rent commercial district into the centerpiece of Philadelphia's business district in...
, became available for development; it was previously held by the Pennsylvanian Railroad as part of their Broad Street Station and associated yards, including the infamous Chinese Wall. Under the leadership of then Philadelphia mayor Richardson Dilworth
Richardson Dilworth
Richardson K. Dilworth was an American Democratic Party politician, born in the Pittsburgh area, who served as the 91st Mayor of Philadelphia from 1956 to 1962.-Education and early career:...
and planning head Edmund Bacon, a massive redevelopment effort was made, with the Market East area falling under the auspices of the Market Street East Redevelopment Area section of the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia.
Over the next three decades the redevelopment authority significantly changed the face of Market East, with many older buildings being demolished. The major part of the redevelopment took place in the form of four major projects: the construction of The Gallery at Market East
The Gallery at Market East
The Gallery at Market East, or "The Gallery" as it is known to locals, is an urban mall in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States with over 130 stores and a food court. The mall's major anchor stores are Kmart and Burlington Coat Factory....
[a 2 phased project, which included a JC Penney's (now a Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
)]; the relocation of the Regional Rail
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
lines from the above ground Reading Terminal to the underground Market East Station and the corresponding Center City Commuter Connection
Center City Commuter Connection
The Center City Commuter Connection, commonly referred to as "the commuter tunnel", is a passenger railroad tunnel in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, built to connect the stub ends of the two separate regional commuter rail systems, originally operated by two rival railroad...
and One Reading Center (now Aramark
Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American foodservice, facilities, and clothing provider supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and health care institutions. It is headquartered at the Aramark Tower in Center City,...
Tower); the new United States Courthouse and Detention Facility; and the construction of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the corresponding new Marriott Hotel, renovation of Reading Terminal and related facilities. Several other projects were also conducted concurrently, including the renovation of the Wanamaker’s department store (now a Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
), and PSFS Building, (now a Loews Hotel
Loews Corporation
Loews Corporation is a holding company run by the Tisch Family whose subsidiaries are engaged in the following lines of business:*property and casualty insurance...
).
Though many of these projects have proven successful, there have been several exceptions, the most notable being the city's failed attempt to redevelop the parcel at the southwest corner of 8th and Market. These failures have also called into question the area's long term viability as a major shopping district, especially concerning the major department stores. None of those now located on Market Street are based in Philadelphia, all having been sold to out-of-town interests, and several have closed, though they have been replaced.
Today Market East is still a major shopping district and transportation hub for the city, as well as serving the convention district.
Sites of interest
- Atwater Kent Museum
- The Gallery at Market EastThe Gallery at Market EastThe Gallery at Market East, or "The Gallery" as it is known to locals, is an urban mall in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States with over 130 stores and a food court. The mall's major anchor stores are Kmart and Burlington Coat Factory....
- Pennsylvania Convention CenterPennsylvania Convention CenterThe Pennsylvania Convention Center is a multi-use public facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which is designed to accommodate conventions, exhibitions, conferences and other events.-History:...
- PSFS BuildingPhiladelphia Savings Fund SocietyThe Philadelphia Savings Fund Society , originally called the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, was a savings bank headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. PSFS was founded in December 1816, becoming the first savings bank to organize and do business in the United States...
- Reading TerminalReading TerminalThe Reading Terminal is a complex of buildings located in the Market East section of Center City in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
- Reading Terminal MarketReading Terminal MarketReading Terminal Market is an enclosed public market found at 12th and Arch Streets in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over one hundred merchants offer fresh produce, meats, fish, groceries, ice cream, flowers, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, and specialty and ethnic foods...
- Rohm and Haas Corporate HeadquartersRohm and Haas Corporate HeadquartersThe Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States is the headquarters for the chemical manufacturing company Rohm and Haas. Completed in 1964, the building was the first private investment for the urban renewal of the Independence Mall area. Only two blocks from...
- SEPTA headquarters
- Strawbridge and Clothier flagship store
- Thomas Jefferson University and HospitalThomas Jefferson UniversityThomas Jefferson University is a private health sciences university in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The university consists of six constituent colleges and schools, Jefferson Medical College, Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, Jefferson School of Health...
- Wanamaker BuildingWanamaker'sWanamaker's department store was the first department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the first department stores in the United States. At its zenith in the early 20th century, there were two major Wanamaker department stores, one in Philadelphia and one in New York City at Broadway...
and the Wanamaker OrganWanamaker OrganThe Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest operational pipe organ in the world, located within a spacious 7-story court at Macy's Center City . The largest organ by some measures is the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ...
Sources
- Evolution of the Department Store from the History Department at the University of California, San Diego
- Philadelphia Architects and Buildings