Coulter's

Coulter's

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1875
Founder	B. F. Coulter
Fate	Acquired by The Broadway in 1960; converted into a Broadway branch
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Products	Department store goods (dry goods, men's furnishings, women's cloaks, hosiery, dress fabrics)
Parent	The Broadway (from 1960)

File:STREET ELEVATION - Coulter's Department Store, 5600 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA HABS CAL,19-LOSAN,32-1.tif

Coulter's ultimate site on the Miracle Mile

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Sketch of Coulter's Seventh Street department store from November 1918

File:Coulter's in Baker Block ca. 1880.jpg

B. F. Coulter's Dry Goods (center bottom) located in the Baker Block, N. Main Street at Arcadia, circa 1880

File:View west on 2nd at Spring; Hollenbeck Block when two stories (left), 2nd City Hall (right), 1886.jpg

Westward view on 2nd at Spring showing Coulter's in the two-story Hollenbeck Block (left) and the 2nd City Hall (right), 1886

File:View south on Spring at 2nd, Hollenbeck Hotel when two stories, 1886.jpg

Southward view on Spring at 2nd Street, featuring Coulter's within the two-story Hollenbeck Block, 1886

Coulter's was a department store originally established in Downtown Los Angeles before relocating to the city's Miracle Mile retail corridor.

History

Founded by B. F. Coulter, a Kentucky-born minister and businessman, the store began as part of the partnership Coulter & Harper in 1875. This initial venture dealt in hardware, household goods, appliances, and underwear at the intersection of Eighth and Spring streets before moving to 110 Main Street in 1878.

On October 22, 1878, Coulter launched his own establishment within the Downey Block located at Temple and Main streets' corner. The store offered dry goods such as men's furnishings including neckties, women's cloaks, hosiery, and various dress fabrics. The initial premises covered approximately 900 square feet (84 m²) with inventory valued at $1,000 (~$Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year).

The core business principle of Coulter's emphasized offering superior quality merchandise at reasonable prices combined with outstanding customer care. Advertising slogans highlighted it as "the nicest store in Los Angeles". Like many retailers of that era in Los Angeles, Coulter's relocated multiple times to follow shifting retail hubs away from the Plaza.

In July 1879, the business shifted to its second site within the Baker Block, situated at 236 N. Main Street on the southeast corner with Arcadia Street. Initially occupying a single storefront, it gradually expanded into adjacent units.

By November 1, 1884, Coulter's had relocated again to its third address in the Hollenbeck Block, spanning 201–205 N. Spring Street. At that time it claimed distinction as Southern California’s largest and best-illuminated retail space. The ground floor provided roughly 3,000 square feet (280 m²) for sales with an equivalent basement area dedicated to wholesale operations.

In August 1898, Coulter's moved into its fourth premises located within the Homer Laughlin Building, covering addresses from 317 to 325 S. Broadway. In 1905 this building was extended rearwards reaching Hill Street; subsequently the Ville de Paris department store took over Coulter’s former space. After Ville de Paris relocated in 1917, that area became home to the Grand Central Market, which remains there today.

On May 31, 1905, Coulter’s transitioned to its fifth location by refurbishing and combining sections of the Potomac Block alongside neighboring buildings. The new store addressed fronts at 225-7-9 S. Broadway and extended through to 224-6-8 S. Hill Street. During this period Broadway was emerging as a hub for major department stores including J. W. Robinson's (1895), The Broadway (1896), Desmond's (1900), Fifth Street Store (1905), Bullock's (1907), and Hamburger's (1908). After Coulter’s vacated this site in 1917 it was occupied by Western Shoe Company which rebranded as Western Department Store in 1922 and operated there until closing in 1928. Prominent signage reading "THE LARGEST SHOE DEPT. IN THE WEST" adorned the building façade well into the late 1950s.

In the year 1917, Coulter’s relocated once more to its sixth site situated in the fashionable retail district along Seventh Street, an area often described as "around the corner"—westward of Broadway’s established shopping area and south of Bunker Hill. This location was at the southwest corner of Seventh and Olive streets at number 711 S. Olive. Additionally, a branch outlet operated at 215 S. Broadway.

By 1938, Coulter’s made its final move to its seventh and last location along Wilshire Boulevard within the renowned Miracle Mile. Unlike many contemporaries who opened supplementary branches on Wilshire Boulevard while maintaining original stores elsewhere, Coulter’s fully transferred its entire operation there.

In March of 1960, ownership of Coulter's was acquired by the Broadway department store chain and subsequently converted into a Broadway branch.

Miracle Mile building

Located at 5600 Wilshire Boulevard, the flagship store exemplified the Streamline Moderne style and was crafted by architect Stiles O. Clements. Completed between 1938 and 1939, this four-story structure featured a distinctive curved exterior composed of white concrete, complemented by horizontal glass block bands instead of traditional windows. According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, a striking glass panel soaring seventy-two feet high rose above the entrance facing the boulevard.

Although the building was proposed for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, it was torn down in 1980 prior to the consideration of its nomination.

For many years following its demolition, the site became what the Conservancy referred to as "a community eyesore," characterized by pools of tar and oil collecting at the base of a deep excavation. Today, this location has been transformed into a substantial mixed-use development.

External links

• Coulter's Department Store page at the Los Angeles Conservancy Web site