Arnold Constable & Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (department store) |
| Founded | 1825 |
| Founder | Aaron Arnold |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Clothing, dry goods, carpets, upholstery |
Arnold Constable & Company was a prominent department store chain based in the New York City metropolitan region. Established in 1825, it held the distinction of being America's longest-standing department store for over 150 years until its closure in 1975. At its height, the flagship location known as the "Palace of Trade," situated at 881-887 Broadway near East 19th Street and extending through to 115 Fifth Avenue, was renowned for attracting the largest segment of New York’s affluent clientele, often referred to as the "carriage trade." This elite customer base included the spouses of notable figures such as Grover Cleveland, Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt.
History
The origins of Arnold Constable & Company trace back to 1825, when Aaron Arnold, an immigrant from the Isle of Wight, opened a modest dry goods shop at 91 Front Street in lower Manhattan. As the business grew, Arnold relocated to a more spacious location on Pine Street and partnered with his nephews George and James Hearn. During this period, the firm operated under the name Arnold and Hearn until 1842, when the Hearn brothers branched out to establish their own enterprise. James Mansell Constable, initially employed by A. Arnold & Co., later married Arnold’s daughter and became a partner in 1842. The company adopted the name Arnold Constable & Company in 1853.
Relocations and Growth
In 1857, Arnold Constable moved into an elegant four-story white marble dry goods emporium located at 309-311 Canal Street, with additional frontages on Howard and Mercer Streets. During a period of national inflation a few years later, the store innovated by becoming one of the earliest retailers to offer monthly charge billing to customers instead of biannual statements. The company continued its expansion in 1862 by constructing a five-story addition at 307 Canal and adding a fifth floor to the original building, carefully blending the new sections architecturally with the existing structure.
Celebrated as a premier destination for upscale fashion, Arnold Constable soon outgrew its Canal Street location. In 1869, it commissioned a marble building designed by architect Griffith Thomas at Broadway and East 19th Street in what would become known as the "Ladies' Mile" Shopping District. As one of the district’s early retail pioneers, Arnold Constable ranked as New York City's second-largest dry goods establishment at that time. Newspapers dubbed this flagship "Palace of Trade." The store underwent further enlargement in 1872 by incorporating carpets and an upholstery division into its offerings, followed by an extension through to Fifth Avenue in 1876–77 to house a wholesale department. By then, Arnold Constable was regarded as "one of the largest business establishments in the world." Its success was reflected in real estate holdings; according to an 1897 report by the New York Herald, the company was among New York City's top five real-estate proprietors. One notable property was an office building at Fifth Avenue and East 18th Street that connected directly to its vast emporium.
Following Aaron Arnold’s death in 1876, the company maintained its growth trajectory until it became necessary to relocate uptown with New York's expanding affluent population. In 1914, Arnold Constable established a larger store on Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, occupying the former site of the Vanderbilt mansion—an area now home to the Mid-Manhattan Library of the New York Public Library.
Expansion into Europe
Clark Lawrence Sharpstein (1807–1880) began his career as a clerk at the store owned by Arnold's nephew before transitioning to Arnold, Constable when the business was still located on Canal Street. He rapidly advanced to a leadership role and played a significant part in relocating the company to Broadway. Arnold entrusted him with procurement missions to Paris. In 1855, Sharpstein founded a Paris branch of Arnold, Constable and became a partner in the entire enterprise. Apart from a one-year hiatus in 1870, he managed the Paris operation until his passing. The European division also featured a London outlet; a lithograph of this London store is preserved in the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection.
Final decades
Arnold Constable merged with specialty retailer Stewart & Company in 1925, marking its entry into suburban markets. The inaugural suburban branch debuted in New Rochelle, New York in 1937. Subsequent expansions included stores in Hempstead, Manhasset on Long Island, Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, and locations across New Jersey. Most branches were situated in downtown cores or small shopping centers. During the 1960s, there were approximately 11 to 12 domestic stores before declining sales—largely due to the rise of shopping malls over standalone retailers—led to the closure of all 10 suburban branches.
In 1961, Arnold, Constable sold its flagship store building to the New York Public Library for its Mid-Manhattan Branch. However, the company leased back several lower floors to maintain retail operations. By July 1974, it had relinquished leases on all floors except the ground level. The main store ultimately ceased operations entirely in March 1975. Despite this closure, smaller mall-based outlets persisted and even grew under the NoName and Garment District labels.
The NoName stores were distinctive for lacking any visible name or logo; although a trademarked logo design existed, it was never implemented. In the 1990s, remaining assets were acquired by Canadian retailer Y M Inc., which currently manages U.S. chains including Annie Sez, Mandee, and Afaze.
The "Palace of Trade"
The second flagship store of Arnold Constable, now situated within the Ladies' Mile Historic District, originally consisted of a pair of twin structures featuring marble exteriors. Both were conceived by architect Griffith Thomas in the Second Empire Commercial style. The counterpart building served the retailer Edward Hoyt, who relocated uptown around the same period as Arnold Constable. Subsequent modifications have since masked the buildings' initial identical appearance.
Over time, the Arnold Constable edifice expanded incrementally, with distinct sections separated by brick firewalls. Nevertheless, the interior spaces were designed to remain as open as feasible, supported solely by cast-iron columns to maximize flexibility for merchandise presentation. Later configurations linked these sections through courts illuminated naturally by skylights. In addition to retail areas, the structure housed warehouse storage and workshop facilities.
The first significant renovation took place in 1872, involving a 50-foot extension along 19th Street that introduced a side entrance. At this time, the "miraculous" two-story mansard roof was also constructed. Four years afterward, a further 150-foot addition extended the building to Fifth Avenue. Griffith Thomas oversaw both expansions, adhering to his original design; however, ornamental details were executed in more economical cast iron rather than the costly marble used initially. Between 1883 and 1884, an annex was erected on 18th Street, connected to the main structure via a four-story bridge spanning the ground floor and basement levels. This annex was designed by William Schickel in the Renaissance Revival style. In 1894, Schickel also designed a twelve-story tower at the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and East 18th Street. Initially planned for retail on the ground floor with manufacturing above, the upper stories were repurposed for office space prior to its completion in 1895. Following Arnold Constable & Company's relocation further uptown in 1914, the building was converted for wholesale purposes in 1915.
Architecturally, the "Palace of Trade" received high praise. The New York Herald remarked upon its completion: "Through a careful arrangement and symmetrical integration of all its components, the building’s massiveness is gracefully alleviated, making it one of the finest architectural structures in the city."
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Historical overview of Arnold Constable
- Template:Cite AIA4
- Pearson, Marjorie (editor) NYCLPC Ladies' Mile Historic District Designation Report, Volume 1. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (May 2, 1989)
External links
- File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
