Boston Store (Erie, Pennsylvania)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Founder | Elisha H. Mack |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Fate | Closed due to declining revenue |
| Headquarters | Erie, Pennsylvania , United States |
| Products | Department store goods |
The Boston Store was a well-known department store situated at 716–728 State Street in Downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. Established in 1885, its main building was erected between 1929 and 1931. At the height of its operations, the company expanded to include two more locations. The Boston Store discontinued business in 1979. After standing vacant for almost ten years, the structure was transformed in 1988 into a mixed-use development combining residential apartments and commercial spaces, and it was renamed Boston Store Place. In 1996, it earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Design
Positioned along State Street between 7th and 8th Streets, this six-level buff brick edifice showcases an Art Deco design with a frontage stretching 145 feet. The exterior is segmented into eight bays by brick piers, which are topped by a parapet decorated with blue and tan terracotta panels. The central entrance bay is notably wider and crowned with a terracotta element resembling a balcony.
A prominent architectural highlight is the four-sided bell and clock tower rising 40 feet above the main entrance. It rests on tiered buttresses capped with beveled limestone. This tower became a distinctive feature of Erie's skyline, incorporating elements inspired by religious, civic, and collegiate architecture. Each clock face spans 12 feet in diameter and features black metal Roman numerals set against white translucent glass. Terra-cotta circular motifs embellish the upper portion of the tower, while the bell resides behind geometric tracery.
Within the building, a corridor links entrances on State Street and Peach Street, housing a cube-shaped, four-faced clock produced by International Business Machines (IBM). The exterior displays marquees bearing "boston store" and "erie dry goods co." signage; these were temporarily replaced in early 2011 by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center branding but were restored to their original text following public outcry. Additional access points were introduced on Peach and 8th Streets; however, a former annex with an entrance on 7th Street has since been demolished.
History
The Boston Store originated in 1885 when businessman Elisha H. Mack purchased the bankrupt Erie Dry Goods Store, renaming it after Boston, Massachusetts—a city then esteemed as a center for fashion and culture. The store moved to State Street in 1886 and grew through acquisitions to occupy frontage along Peach, State, 7th, and 8th streets by the late 1920s. Mack stepped down in 1925 after his business partner passed away.
In 1929, the Erie-based architectural firm Shutts & Morrison designed a new Boston Store building that was completed in 1931 at a cost estimated around $2 million (equivalent to approximately $ today). From 1949 to 1953, local firm Myers & Krider managed expansions that included elevating the Peach Street section from three to six stories and replacing the structure on 8th Street with a five-story building. By 1953, escalators had been installed across five floors.
In 1959, Associated Dry Goods took ownership of the Boston Store. Management transferred to Pittsburgh's Joseph Horne Company in December 1975. Facing declining revenue due to competition from Millcreek Mall located in nearby Millcreek Township, the Boston Store ultimately closed its doors on July 7, 1979.
Present Function
After being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, the Boston Store structure was adapted, with its top five levels transformed into 125 residential units. The building now accommodates several iHeartMedia radio stations such as WFNN, WJET, WRKT, WXBB, WTWF, and WRTS, along with partial operations of WEBG broadcasting from nearby Mina, New York. A dining establishment began operations on the ground floor in 2008 but ceased business in 2013. In early 2011, UPMC Health Plan opened a 7,600-square-foot office within the building. Later, in September 2016, Voodoo Brewery introduced a pub and restaurant on the first floor.
Related Topics
- List of defunct department stores of the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, Pennsylvania
Sources
- Articles with short description
- Buildings and structures in Erie, Pennsylvania
- Commercial buildings completed in 1931
- Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Retail companies disestablished in 1979
- Defunct companies based in Pennsylvania
- Defunct department stores based in Pennsylvania
- History of Erie, Pennsylvania
- Department stores on the National Register of Historic Places
- Art Deco architecture in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places in Erie County, Pennsylvania
- American companies established in 1885
- Retail companies established in 1885
- 1885 establishments in Pennsylvania
- 1979 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment