Macy's Herald Square

R. H. Macy and Company Store
(1907)
Map
Location151 West 34th Street
Manhattan, New York
Coordinates40°45′01″N 73°59′18″W / 40.75028°N 73.98833°W / 40.75028; -73.98833
Built1901; 124 years ago (1901)
ArchitectDe Lemos & Cordes
NRHP reference No.78001873
NYSRHP No.06101.001712
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 2, 1978[2]
Designated NHLJune 2, 1978[3]
Designated NYSRHPJune 23, 1980[1]

Macy's Herald Square (originally named the R. H. Macy and Company Store) is the flagship of Macy's department store, as well as the Macy's, Inc. corporate headquarters, on Herald Square in Manhattan, New York City. The building's 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m2),[4] which includes 1.25 million square feet (116,000 m2) of retail space, makes it the largest department store in the United States and among the largest in the world. The store has an in-store jail, Room 140, where customers suspected of shoplifting are detained.[5]

The Macy's building was completed in 1902 after the store had occupied several previous locations in New York City. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and was made a National Historic Landmark in 1978.[3][2][6] The building is served by the New York City Subway's 34th Street–Herald Square station.[7]

History

Previous flagship locations

An early Macy's building, dating from 1894, at 56 West 14th Street, designated a NYC landmark in 2012

Macy's was founded by Rowland Hussey Macy, who between 1843 and 1855 opened four retail dry goods stores, including the original Macy's store in downtown Haverhill, Massachusetts, established in 1851 to serve the mill industry employees of the area. They all failed, but he learned from his mistakes. He moved to New York City in 1858 and established a new store named "R.H Macy Dry Goods" at Sixth Avenue on the corner of 14th Street. On the company's first day of business on October 28, 1858, sales totaled $11.08, equivalent to $389.48 today. From the very beginning, Macy's logo has included a star in one form or another, echoing a red star-shaped tattoo that Macy got as a teenager when he worked on a Nantucket whaling ship.[8][9]

As the business grew, Macy's expanded into neighboring buildings, opening more department stores, and used publicity devices such as a store Santa Claus, themed exhibits, and illuminated window displays to draw in customers.[10] The store later moved to 18th Street and Broadway, on the "Ladies' Mile", the elite shopping district of the time, where it remained for nearly forty years.

In 1875, Macy took on two partners, Robert M. Valentine (1850–1879), a nephew; and Abiel T. La Forge (1842–1878) of Wisconsin, who was the husband of a cousin.[11][12] Macy died just two years later in 1877 from Bright's disease.[13] La Forge died in 1878 and Valentine died in 1879.[11][12] Ownership of the company was passed down through the Macy family until 1895, when the company, now called "R. H. Macy & Co.", was acquired by Isidor Straus and his brother Nathan Straus, who had previously held a license to sell china and other goods in the Macy's store.

Move

Macy's entrance

In 1902, the flagship store moved uptown to Herald Square at 34th Street and Broadway, so far north of the other main dry-goods emporia that it had to offer a steam wagonette to transport customers from 14th Street to 34th Street.[14] Although the Herald Square store initially consisted of just one building, it expanded through new construction, eventually occupying almost the entire block bounded by Seventh Avenue on the west, Broadway on the east, 34th Street on the south and 35th Street on the north, with the exception of a small pre-existing building on the corner of 35th Street and Seventh Avenue and another on the corner of 34th Street and Broadway. Robert H. Smith purchased this latter 5-story building in 1900 for $375,000 (equivalent to $11,293,411 in 2023) with the idea of getting in the way of Macy's becoming the largest store in the world: it is largely supposed that Smith, who was a neighbor of the Macy's store on 14th Street, was acting on behalf of Siegel-Cooper, which had built what they thought was the world's largest store on Sixth Avenue in 1896. Macy's ignored the tactic, and simply built around the building, which now carries Macy's "shopping bag" sign by lease arrangement.[15] That building earned the name Million Dollar Corner when it was finally sold for a then record $1 million on December 6, 1911.[16]

The original Broadway store was designed in 1901 and 1902 by architects Theodore de Lemos and A. W. Cordes under their architecture firm De Lemos & Cordes, and was erected by the Fuller Construction Company. It has a Palladian facade, but has been updated in many details. Other additions to the west were completed in 1924 and 1928, and the Seventh Avenue building in 1931, all designed by architect Robert D. Kohn, the newer buildings becoming increasingly Art Deco in style.[15][17] The store boasts several wooden escalators still in operation.

Renovations

The building in 2018

In 2012, Macy's began the first full renovation of the flagship store at a reported cost of $400 million (~$525 million in 2023).[18][19] Studio V Architecture, a New York-based firm, was the overall master plan architect of the project, with Kevin Kennon Architects providing the exterior and entryway designs. The renovations completed in November 2015 but Macy's continues to modify the store to suit changing customer tastes and maximize return on the real estate.[20]

In 2016, the company explored adding one or two towers to the building to house hotel or office space. The next year, it considered turning the structure's roof into a park.[21][22] Macy's unveiled plans in 2019 to build a 1.2-million-square-foot (110,000 m2) office building atop the existing store.[23][24] The following February, the plans were updated: the tower would be over 900 feet (270 m) tall and consist of 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m2) of space, including a sky lobby. The tower's construction would also include improvements to the nearby area.[25][26]

Incidents

In August 2014, Macy's agreed to a $650,000 penalty proposed by the New York Attorney General to settle a number of claims of racial profiling and false detention involving nearly two dozen African-American, Latino and other customers at the Herald Square store who had lodged complaints in February 2013. As part of the deal, the retail group agreed to introduce policies to ensure all customers were treated equally regardless of race or ethnicity.[27]

On June 1–2, 2020, during the George Floyd protests in New York City, 17 people attempted to loot Macy's Herald Square as part of a series of looting incidents around Midtown Manhattan but were thwarted by NYPD. The store had been boarded up on May 31 in advance of the protests, but looters took the boards apart.[28][29] Though physical damage was limited, The New York Times reported that it was symbolic of Macy's financial troubles, which had resulted after the location was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.[30]

Events

The Christmas season "Believe" sign at Macy's Herald Square

Macy's is noted for its elaborate animated holiday and Christmas window displays in many of its U.S. stores, but most notably at the Herald Square location. Each year presents a different theme shown in six windows on the Broadway side of the building. Each window includes animated displays with complex scenery, attracting thousands of viewers. Since 2012, the windows have been designed, fabricated and animated by Standard Transmission Productions,[31][32][33] based in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

In summer 2007, Macy's mounted a public art exhibition at the Herald Square flagship, using its windows to display pieces from fashion designers Misaki Kawai, Anna Sui, and John F. Simon Jr. Art Under Glass was viewable to the public through that year's fashion week.[34]

Other events include:

Partnerships

Through a partnership with tech retailer b8ta, "The Market @ Macy's" section features pop-up spaces for new brands.[39]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. ^ a b "R.H. Macy and Company Store". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 11, 2007. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014.
  4. ^ Oh, Inae (November 1, 2011). "Macy's $400 Million Grand Makeover To Flagship Store". The Huffington Post.
  5. ^ Elliott, Andrea (June 17, 2003). "In Stores, Private Handcuffs for Sticky Fingers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  6. ^ Adams, George R. (February 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: R. H. Macy and Company Store" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 4 photos, exterior, undated (1.03 MB)
  7. ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Pennsylvania Station / Times Square" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  8. ^ Robbins., L.h. (February 12, 1933). "The City Department Store: Evolution of 75 Years; The Macy Anniversary Directs Attention to the Development of The Great Institutions That Serve the American Shopper". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  9. ^ Evans, Stephen (March 1, 2005). "The death of the department store". BBC News. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Burrows, Edwin G. and Wallace, Mike (1999). Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-195-11634-8., pp.945-946
  11. ^ a b "Abiel T. La Forge". The New York Times. February 13, 1878. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  12. ^ a b "Robert M. Valentine's Will". The New York Times. February 26, 1879. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  13. ^ "Rowland H. Macy, Merchant". The New York Times. March 31, 1877. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  14. ^ Abelson, Elaine S. "R. H. Macy" in Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. (2010). The Encyclopedia of New York City (2nd ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11465-2., p.1102
  15. ^ a b White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot (2000). AIA Guide to New York City (4th ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5., pp.225-226
  16. ^ "THE REAL ESTATE FIELD; $1,000,000 Paid for Small Broadway and 34th Street Corner". The New York Times. December 7, 1911. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  17. ^ Wurman, Richard Saul (2008). Access New York City. HarperCollins. p. 133. ISBN 978-0061350375.
  18. ^ Singer, Natasha (November 1, 2014). "For Macy's, a Makeover on 34th Street". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  19. ^ "Top 2012 Retail Projects" (PDF). Architectural Record. September 2012. p. 32.
  20. ^ Palmieri, Jean E. (November 5, 2015). "Macy's Completes Renovation of Men's Department at Herald Square". Women's Wear Daily.
  21. ^ Fickenscher, Lisa; Weiss, Lois (January 7, 2016). "Macy's considers adding a tower to iconic Herald Square store". New York Post.
  22. ^ Fickenscher, Lisa (June 6, 2017). "Macy's considering turning Herald Square roof into public park". New York Post. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  23. ^ Plitt, Amy (April 25, 2019). "Macy's will raise a skyscraper atop its Midtown flagship". Curbed NY. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  24. ^ Chung, Jen (May 15, 2019). "Macy's Will Build Skyscraper On Top Of Herald Square Flagship". Gothamist. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  25. ^ Morris, Keiko; Kapner, Suzanne (February 4, 2020). "Macy's Planning Larger-Than-Expected Office Tower Atop Flagship Store". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  26. ^ Londono, Vanessa (February 7, 2020). "Macy's-Topping Skyscraper By FXCollaborative Revealed, in Midtown Manhattan". New York YIMBY. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  27. ^ Lovett, Kenneth (August 20, 2014). "Macy's agrees to pay $650G to settle state probe into racial profiling at its Herald Square store". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  28. ^ McShane, Larry; Gioino, Catherina (June 2, 2020). "Nightmare on 34th St.: Videos capture scene as rioters kick their way inside Macy's flagship store in Midtown". nydailynews.com. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  29. ^ Brown, Lee (June 2, 2020). "'Hundreds' of looters rush into Macy's Herald Square store". New York Post. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  30. ^ Corkery, Michael; Maheshwari, Sapna (June 2, 2020). "Macy's Damage Is Limited, but Looting Deals a Symbolic Blow". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  31. ^ Cerullo, Megan (November 19, 2016). "Photos: Go Behind The Scenes Of The Macy's Herald Square Christmas Windows". Gothamist. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  32. ^ Cerullo, Megan (November 20, 2015). "Miracle on 34th Street Comes to Life in Red Hook". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  33. ^ Cerullo, Megan (November 3, 2017). "Window Dressing". Brown Alumni Magazine. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  34. ^ Nathan, Lillien (July 11, 2007). "Anna Sui Opens Macy's Art Exhibit, Loves Psychedelia". New York. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  35. ^ "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Security Tight As Millions Attend". CBS New York. November 24, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  36. ^ Pisani, Joseph (October 23, 2020). "Christmas without Santa Claus? He won't be at NYC Macy's for first time in almost 160 years". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  37. ^ Fox, Alison (March 24, 2019). "Macy's Flower Show set to bloom with space-age theme, thousands of plants". amNewYork. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  38. ^ Davenport, Emily (October 27, 2020). "Macy's launches annual Believe campaign to benefit Make-A-Wish". amNewYork. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  39. ^ Wolf, Alan (June 13, 2018). "Macy's Taps b8ta For In-Store Pop-Up Shops". Twice. Retrieved July 7, 2018.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Macy's Herald Square.

Read other articles:

The Puritan (song)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: The Puritan song – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) 2012 single by BlurThe PuritanSingle by BlurA-sideUnder the WestwayReleased2 July 2012 (2012-07-02)GenrePost-B...

 

Assam

State in northeastern India For other uses, see Assam (disambiguation). State in Northeast India, IndiaAssamStateState of AssamFrom top, left to right: Indian rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park, Kamakhya Temple, IIT Guwahati, Rang Ghar, Indian elephants in Manas National Park, Majuli Island, Kareng Ghar in Garhgaon, Assam tea garden. Emblem of AssamEtymology: A-ham (Uneven) or from AhomNickname(s): Land of red river and blue hillsMotto: Joi Aai Axom (Hail Mother Assam)[1]...

 

A Virtuous Vamp

A Virtuous VampSutradaraDavid KirklandSidney FranklinProduserJoseph M. SchenckConstance TalmadgeAnita LoosJohn EmersonDitulis olehAnita LoosJohn EmersonBerdasarkanThe Bacheloroleh Clyde FitchPemeranConstance TalmadgeConway TearleNed SparksSinematograferOliver T. MarshPerusahaanproduksiConstance Talmadge Film CompanyDistributorFirst National Exhibitors' CircuitTanggal rilis 16 November 1919 (1919-11-16) Durasi5 rolNegaraAmerika SerikatBahasaBisu (intertitel Inggris) A Virtuous Vamp adalah...

Kevin Hollinrake

British politician (born 1963) Kevin HollinrakeMPOfficial portrait, 2019Minister of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business[a]IncumbentAssumed office 27 October 2022Prime MinisterRishi SunakPreceded byDean RussellMember of Parliamentfor Thirsk and MaltonIncumbentAssumed office 7 May 2015Preceded byAnne McIntoshMajority25,154 (44.4%) Personal detailsBornKevin Paul Hollinrake (1963-09-28) 28 September 1963 (age 60)Easingwold, North Riding of Yorkshire, EnglandPolit...

 

76e parallèle nord

Pour les articles homonymes, voir 76e parallèle. 180° 135°W 90°W 45°W 0° 45°E 90°E 135°E 180°Tracé du parallèle de 76° nord En géographie, le 76e parallèle nord est le parallèle joignant les points de la surface de la Terre dont la latitude est égale à 76° nord. Géographie Dimensions Dans le système géodésique WGS 84, au niveau de 76° de latitude nord, un degré de longitude équivaut à 27,016 km[1] ; la longueur totale du parallèle est donc de 9 ...

 

Sunda Arc

Volcanic island arc in Indonesia Map of the Sunda Arc Sunda ArcGeographyLocationIndonesiaCoordinates7°09′04″S 110°08′25″E / 7.1510°S 110.1403°E / -7.1510; 110.1403Major islandsSumatra, Java, Nusa TenggaraAdditional informationTectonic - Indo-Australian Plate and Eurasia Plate Major Volcanoes - Merapi, Krakatoa, Mount Sinabung, Semeru The Sunda Arc is a volcanic arc that produced the volcanoes that form the topographic spine of the islands of Sumatra, Nusa T...

Mondo Meyer Upakhyan

2002 Indian filmMondo Meyer UpakhyanThe French language film poster of the filmDirected byBuddhadev DasguptaWritten byBuddhadev DasguptaPrafulla Roy (short story)Produced byArya BhattacharjeeStarringSamata DasTapas PaulRituparna SenguptaSreelekha MitraSudipta ChakrabortyJune MaliaCinematographyVenuRelease date 2002 (2002) Running time90 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageBengali Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (Bengali: মন্দ মেয়ের উপাখ্যান) is a 2002 Indian Bengali-lan...

 

House society

Society organized in dwellings Three tongkonan noble Houses in a Torajan village, Sulawesi, Indonesia Part of a series on theAnthropology of kinship Basic concepts Family Lineage Affinity Consanguinity Marriage Incest taboo Endogamy Exogamy Moiety Monogamy Polygyny Polygamy Concubinage Polyandry Bride price Bride service Dowry Parallel / cross cousins Cousin marriage Levirate Sororate Posthumous marriage Joking relationship Clan Cohabitation Fictive / Milk / Nurture...

 

Campionati del mondo di ciclismo su pista 2020 - Inseguimento individuale maschile

Campionati del mondo di ciclismo su pista - Inseguimento individuale maschile Competizione Campionati del mondo di ciclismo su pista 2020 Sport Ciclismo su pista Edizione 75ª Organizzatore UCI Date dal 28 febbraio Luogo Berlino Discipline Inseguimento individuale maschile Impianto/i Velodrom Il vincitore Filippo Ganna premiato con la maglia iridata Cronologia della competizione Pruszków 2019 Roubaix 2021 Manuale Voce principale: Campionati del mondo di ciclismo su pista 2020. Mondiali ...

Tournoi pré-olympique de l'AFC 1991-1992

Tournoi pré-olympiqueAFC 1991-1992 Généralités Sport Football Organisateur(s) CIO, AFC Édition 9e Date du 18 mai 1991au 30 janvier 1992 Participants 28 pays Épreuves 103 rencontres Palmarès Vainqueur Qatar (1) Navigation Séoul 1988 Atlanta 1996 modifier Article principal : Tournoi pré-olympique de football de 1990-1992. Le tournoi pré-olympique de l'AFC 1991-1992 a eu pour but de désigner les trois nations qualifiées au sein de la zone Asie pour participer au tournoi final d...

 

Nitromifene

Chemical compound NitromifeneClinical dataOther namesCI-628; CN-5518; CN-55945Identifiers IUPAC name 1-[2-[4-[1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-2-nitro-2-phenylethenyl]phenoxy]ethyl]pyrrolidine CAS Number10448-84-7 5863-35-4 (citrate)PubChem CID22150ChemSpider20796UNII5FS1NJ6Q8NCompTox Dashboard (EPA)DTXSID50883143 Chemical and physical dataFormulaC27H28N2O4Molar mass444.531 g·mol−13D model (JSmol)Interactive image SMILES COC1=CC=C(C=C1)C(=C(C2=CC=CC=C2)[N+](=O)[O-])C3=CC=C(C=C3)OCCN4CCCC4 InChI In...

 

Нью-Йорк (штат)

Об одноимённом городе в этом штате см. Нью-Йорк. У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Нью-Йорк (значения). Штат США Штат Нью-Йорк англ. State of New York Флаг штата Нью-Йорк Печать штата Нью-Йорк Девиз штата «Всё выше» (лат. Excelsior) Песня штата I Love New York Прозвище штата �...

Opticks

Book by Isaac Newton This article is about the book by Newton. For the subject in general, see Optics. For the computer program, see Opticks (software). Opticks The first, 1704, edition of Opticks: or, a treatise of the reflexions, refractions, inflexions and colours of light.AuthorIsaac NewtonLanguageEnglishSubjectOpticsGenreNon-fictionPublication date1704Publication placeGreat BritainMedia typePrintTextOpticks at Wikisource Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflex...

 

Sir Thomas Staples, 9th Baronet

Sir Thomas Staples, 9th Baronet (31 July 1775 – 14 May 1865) was an Anglo-Irish politician and lawyer. He was the last surviving person to have been a member of the Irish House of Commons, albeit only having been in the House for a short time. Staples was the son of John Staples and Henrietta Molesworth, a daughter of Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth. Between March and April 1800 he was the Member of Parliament for Knocktopher in the Irish House of Commons, before resigning.[...

 

Udinese Calcio 1985-1986

Voce principale: Udinese Calcio. Udinese CalcioStagione 1985-1986 Sport calcio Squadra Udinese Allenatore Luís Vinício, poi Giancarlo De Sisti Presidente Lamberto Mazza Serie A13º Coppa ItaliaOttavi di finale Maggiori presenzeCampionato: Edinho, Galparoli (30) Miglior marcatoreCampionato: Carnevale (9)Totale: Carnevale (13) StadioFriuli 1984-1985 1986-1987 Si invita a seguire il modello di voce Questa voce raccoglie le informazioni riguardanti l'Udinese Calcio nelle competizioni ...

Paul Romer

Questa voce sull'argomento economisti statunitensi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Paul RomerRomer nel 2005 Capo economista della Banca MondialeDurata mandatoottobre 2016 –24 gennaio 2018 PresidenteJim Yong Kim PredecessoreKaushik Basu SuccessoreShanta Devarajan Dati generaliUniversitàUniversità di ChicagoMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyQueen's University Premio Nobel per l'economia 2018Paul Michael Romer (Denver...

 

David Collins (lieutenant governor)

British marine and colonial administrator (1756–1810) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: David Collins lieutenant governor – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) ColonelDavid Collins1st Lieutenant Governor of Van Dieme...

 

Orval Abbey

For other uses, see Orval (disambiguation). Orval Abbey Church Orval Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval) is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium, located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville, Wallonia in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey is well known for its history and spiritual life but also for its local production of the Trappist beer Orval and a specific cheese. History First foundation Entry to Orval Abbey via the guest house. The site has bee...

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

Town in Massachusetts, United States This article is about the town in Massachusetts, United States. For the town in Shropshire, England, see Shrewsbury. Municipality in Massachusetts, United StatesShrewsbury, MassachusettsMunicipalityHomestead of General Artemas Ward SealLocation in Worcester County and the state of MassachusettsCoordinates: 42°17′45″N 71°42′48″W / 42.29583°N 71.71333°W / 42.29583; -71.71333CountryUnited StatesStateMassachusettsCountyWorce...

 

Siege of Metz (1814)

1814 siege during the War of the Sixth Coalition For the same city's sieges, see Siege of Metz. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Siege of Metz 1814 – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Siege of Metz (1814)Part of the War...