Flint & Kent
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (department store) |
| Founded | 1832 |
| Founder | Benjamin Fitch |
| Defunct | 1956 |
| Fate | Sold to The Sample |
| Headquarters | Buffalo, New York , United States |
| Products | Department store goods |
Flint & Kent was a prestigious department store headquartered in Buffalo, New York.
History
The business traces its roots back to 1832 when Benjamin Fitch (1802–1883) launched a dry goods establishment at 288 Main Street in Buffalo. By 1836, the enterprise operated under the name Fitch, Marvin & Co., later shortened to Fitch & Marvin, indicating the involvement of Fitch's associate Eurotas Marvin (1810–1887).
On February 17, 1865, the firm Howard, Whitcomb & Co., composed of partners Ethan Howe Howard (1812–1898), Joshua Mortimer Whitcomb (1821–1897), and William Bradford Flint (1826–1887), was dissolved. Subsequently, Flint, Henry Mellen Kent (1823–1894), and R.P. Stone formed a new partnership called Flint, Kent & Stone. In October 1866, Stone transferred his ownership to Henry Cogswell Howard (son of Ethan Howard; 1847–1913), leading to the renaming of the company as Flint, Kent & Howard, which was eventually simplified to Flint & Kent.
William Bradford Flint became involved in 1856, with Henry Mellen Kent joining the firm in 1865. The flagship store moved in 1897 from 554 Main Street to a new building designed by Edward Austin Kent—Henry Kent’s son and a distinguished architect from Buffalo who tragically died aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912.
Sale
In 1954, Charles John "Jack" Hahn Jr. (1927–2014), whose family owned Sattler's, purchased Flint & Kent. Two years later, in 1956, Hahn sold the business to The Sample. A native of Buffalo and Princeton graduate (class of 1949), Hahn later earned his degree from Harvard Law School in 1960.
See also
References
- Notes
- Sources
- Rizzo, Michael F. (2007) Nine Nine Eight: The Glory Days of Buffalo Shopping Lulu Enterprises, Inc.; Morrisville, North Carolina. .
- Elvins, Sarah (2004). Sales & Celebrations: Retailing and Regional Identity in Western New York State, 1920-1940. .
External links
- Defunct retail companies of the United States
- Companies based in Buffalo, New York
- Retail companies established in 1832
- American companies established in 1832
- 1832 establishments in New York (state)
- Retail companies disestablished in 1956
- 1956 disestablishments in New York (state)
- American companies disestablished in 1956