R. H. White
| Company type | Department store |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1853 |
| Founder | Ralph Huntington White |
| Defunct | c. 1980 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
| Products | Department store goods |
42°21′14.7″N 71°3′43.1″W / 42.354083°N 71.061972°W
R. H. White was a prominent department store enterprise operating during the 19th and 20th centuries, headquartered in Boston. The company was established in 1853 and remained active until approximately 1980; its main downtown Boston location operated from 1876 until 1957.
The origins of R. H. White trace back to 1853 when Ralph Huntington White began as a peddler along the railroad route connecting Chester and Pittsfield. Initially situated on Winter Street by 1862, the business relocated in 1876 to an elaborate six-story structure designed by Peabody and Stearns and constructed by McNeil Brothers, located at 518–536 Washington Street within Boston’s central shopping district.[1][2]
In 1928, ownership transferred to Filene's, followed by acquisition by City Stores, Inc. in 1944. Despite these changes, both companies maintained the R. H. White brand and its retail operations independently. Marking its centennial in 1953, the flagship store underwent extensive renovations and hosted various commemorative events. However, the onset of urban decline encroached upon the southern edge of downtown’s retail zone—soon to be known as the Combat Zone—which adversely affected business. By 1956, declining sales rendered the store unprofitable, prompting City Stores to close the flagship location in 1957.[1][3]
Template:RquoteAfter remaining vacant for some time, City Stores capitalized on municipal tax incentives to renovate the building and launched a new retail concept named Citymart in August 1962. This establishment featured a grocery section alongside amenities such as a childcare service for customers. Despite these innovations, ongoing neighborhood deterioration hindered success. In 1966, under an urban renewal initiative led by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the property was acquired through eminent domain and repurposed to house Raymond's department store, which operated until its closure in 1972. Subsequently, the building was demolished to facilitate construction of the Lafayette Place Mall shopping center.[4]
Although the physical store ceased operations downtown, the R. H. White brand persisted under City Stores’ management through branch locations situated in suburban malls like Lincoln Plaza in Worcester, Massachusetts and Searstown Mall in Leominster, Massachusetts. Nevertheless, following City Stores’ bankruptcy around 1980, all R. H. White outlets were shuttered.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Charles Boston (March 30, 2009). "The RH White Company...another giant of old Washington Street!". Shopping Days In Retro Boston. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ↑ Shand-Tucci, Douglass (2000). Built in Boston: City & Suburb, 1800-2000. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-1558492011. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ↑ Charles Boston (February 11, 2011). "R. H. White's Turns 100...It's 1953 in Retro Boston!". Shopping Days In Retro Boston. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ↑ Charles Boston (March 10, 2012). "Citymart...A Boston Tale of Reuse & Redevelopment in the early 1960s". Shopping Days In Retro Boston. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
<ref> tag with name "TheArena" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.