Lit Brothers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Founder | Samuel Lit, Jacob Lit |
| Defunct | 1977 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , United States |
Area served | Philadelphia metropolitan area, southern New Jersey |
| Products | Department store merchandise, millinery |
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Lit Brothers was a Philadelphia-based department store offering moderately priced merchandise. The enterprise was founded in 1891 by Samuel and Jacob Lit, who launched their initial outlet at the intersection of Market Street and North 8th Street. Positioned as a cost-effective alternative to upscale rivals such as Strawbridge and Clothier, John Wanamaker, and Gimbels, Lit Brothers became recognized for its millinery section and adopted the motto "A Great Store in A Great City."
The building housing Lit Brothers was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is situated within the boundaries of the East Center City Commercial Historic District.
History and architecture
The origins of the store trace back to 1891 when Rachel P. Lit (1858–1919), who later assumed the surnames Weddel and Arnold, inaugurated a women’s apparel shop at Market and North 8th Streets. Under the leadership and innovative marketing strategies of her brothers, Colonel Samuel David Lit (1859–1929) and Jacob David Lit (1872–1950), this modest establishment rapidly expanded into one of Philadelphia’s largest retail outlets.
Between 1895 and 1907, the business grew by acquiring adjacent properties along Market Street between 7th and 8th Streets on the north side, including the J. M. Maris Dry Goods Store, Bailey Store, and the publishing firm J. B. Lippincott & Co.. The company also constructed new corner buildings designed to harmonize with existing structures.
Following numerous modifications and expansions, the Lit Brothers Store evolved into Philadelphia’s sole complete Victorian architectural block, consisting of 33 interconnected buildings erected from 1859 to 1918. Renowned architects Charles M. Autenrieth and Edward Collins were responsible for the design of these additions and renovations.[1][2][3]
Although commonly referred to as the "cast-iron building," only two facades of the original structure—at addresses 719-721 Market Street and 714-718 Arch Street—feature cast iron elements. The remaining buildings are constructed from brick with marble or granite facing. The terminal buildings on each end combine brick with terra-cotta, accented by galvanized iron details and distinctive octagonal towers. The consistent Renaissance Revival-style facade is unified by classical arched windows throughout all buildings, painted uniformly to maintain visual cohesion.[2]
In 1928, ownership transferred to Albert M. Greenfield's Bankers Securities Corporation, which subsequently integrated Lit Brothers into its City Stores Company portfolio—currently known as CSS Industries, Inc.—a retail conglomerate operating various urban department stores across southern and eastern U.S. markets, including W & J Sloane furniture outlets and Washington D.C.’s Lansburgh's department stores.[4] In 1962, City Stores acquired suburban branches from Snellenburg's, another Philadelphia-based chain under Bankers Securities Corporation; these locations were shuttered by 1963. Ultimately, the Lit Brothers chain ceased operations in 1977.
Enchanted Colonial Village
In 1962, Lits joined other Center City department stores by unveiling a festive Christmas display known as the Enchanted Colonial Village. This exhibit, crafted by Philadelphia display artist Thomas Comerford, represented an investment of around $1 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year). The construction was carried out by Christian Hofmann, a toy maker from Bad Rodach, West Germany. The showcase featured a room-by-room presentation of a colonial-era Christmas and was exhibited annually from Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve until its final showing in 1976.
After the display was sold by liquidators for $35,000, the Sun Oil Company acquired it and subsequently donated the exhibit to the Atwater Kent Museum. Following restoration efforts, parts of the Village have been exhibited during holiday seasons at the Please Touch Museum since 2001. Later, the Please Touch Museum transferred ownership of the entire Lit Brothers Enchanted Colonial Village to the American Treasure Tour Museum located in Oaks, Pennsylvania. As of December 2019, this museum has been engaged in reconstructing the full exhibit to establish it as a permanent feature within their collection.[5][6]
Growth and competition
Recognizing increasing demand for retail outlets beyond the city center, Lits expanded by establishing stores within shopping malls throughout the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey. The company also ran a location in downtown Camden and distinguished itself as the sole Philadelphia department store to operate a branch on the New Jersey Shore after acquiring Blatt Department Store in Atlantic City and rebranding it under the Lits name. Further suburban expansion occurred through the 1962 acquisition of Snellenburg's.
Confronted with intensifying rivalry amid shifting retail trends, Lit Brothers ultimately ceased operations in April 1977.[7]
Suburban branch stores
Key suburban branches serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area included locations in Bensalem, Plymouth Meeting, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, and Voorhees Township, New Jersey.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Repurposing of flagship store
Following the chain's closure in 1977, the entire flagship building, occupying a full city block, remained unoccupied until the late 1980s. In November 1985, Mellon Bank agreed to a 25-year lease covering half of the building's area. Growth Properties undertook the redevelopment of the structure into office and commercial facilities. The redesign was executed by Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates alongside John Milner Associates. The building reopened in 1987 under the name Mellon Independence Center, reflecting its primary tenant, Mellon Bank's regional headquarters. The street level housed retail outlets, while a food court was established on the lower floor.
This historic building, encompassing approximately 720,000-square-foot (67,000 m2), was listed for sale in 2007 with an asking price of $70 million (equivalent to around $Template:Format price adjusted for inflation). The main entrance at 701 Market Street was initially branded as Market Place East but was rebranded as the Lits Building in June 2013. In 2018, Five Below relocated its corporate headquarters to this building.
By 2020, a neon sign bearing the Lit Brothers name adorned the primary entrance. Additionally, the façade continues to display the vintage sign stating "Hats Trimmed Free of Charge," preserving a piece of the flagship store’s heritage.
References
Notes
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:Cite philarch, p.59
- ↑ Template:Cite philarchmit, p.77
- ↑ CSS Industries Inc. - Company History (accessed Aug 29, 2008).
- ↑ History of the Enchanted Colonial Village (accessed Aug 29, 2008).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
Template:National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Commercial buildings completed in 1893
- Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Historic American Buildings Survey in Philadelphia
- Defunct department stores based in Philadelphia
- Companies based in Philadelphia
- Colonial Revival architecture in Pennsylvania
- Defunct companies based in Pennsylvania
- Retail companies established in 1893
- 1893 establishments in Pennsylvania
- Companies disestablished in 1977
- 1977 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
- Market East, Philadelphia
- Department stores on the National Register of Historic Places
- National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia
- Market Street (Philadelphia)