‘Everything under the sun’
History Center archivist revisits Kaufmann’s Department Store
The former Kaufmann’s Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh conjures up a plethora of fond memories, ranging from the landmark clock to its entertaining window displays.
The beloved department store was the topic of a program, “The History of Kaufmann’s Department Store, Everything Under the Sun,” presented last month by Robert Stakeley, archivist for the Senator John Heinz History Center.
The lecture, underwritten by the Rotary Club of Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park Breakfast Club, was held at the Bethel Park Historical Society’s Schoolhouse Arts and History Center, and proved to be one of the most popular offerings to date.
Stakeley said a large number of items from the store were donated to the history center in 2002, and his job as an archivist was to catalog each piece. He said he thought he knew everything about Kaufmann’s but quickly realized that was not the case.
“I went through every single box, every single folder, every single photograph,” Stakeley recalled. “No sooner do I get into that collection that I find that I basically knew nothing about Kaufmann’s.”
Kaufmann’s Department Store was founded by four brothers – Jacob, Isaac, Henry and Morris – all of whom immigrated from Germany. Jacob was the first to come to Pittsburgh in 1868 at the age of 19.
“Imagine you at 18 to 19 years of age, going across the pond or the ocean to another country and never coming back to your home, or never seeing your parents again,” Stakeley said. “This was the beginning of the story of Kaufmann’s.”
Isaac, 18, followed a year later, and the pair went to work selling wares such as buttons, thread, cloth and ribbon.
“They were not silver-spooned,” Stakeley said. “They probably have some kind of relative or distant family network here in Pittsburgh. They were not here lying on the beach, living the high life. They’re probably working for a dry goods store, department store, apprenticing, and a few years later they open their very first store.”
Jacob and Isaac opened a store called J. Kaufmann & Brother in 1871 at 1916 Carson St. in Birmingham, now known as Pittsburgh’s South Side. The store did well, turning a profit of $21,585 the first year.
“There’s some people that don’t make that today,” Stakeley said. “Imagine making that kind of money in 1872. With this money, they’re reinvesting in the store and they’re reinvesting into the community.”
Morris immigrated at the age of 14 in 1872, followed by Henry in 1876 at 16, and a second store, J. Kaufmann & Brothers, opened in 1875 at 141 Federal St. in Allegheny City, now known as the North Side.
In 1878, the stores on the North Side and South Side were closed, and the Kaufmann’s operation moved to the corner of Smithfield Street and Diamond Street (now Forbes Avenue). It was known as “Kaufmann’s Cheapest Corner,” offering one-price clothing for men, boys and children.
In 1882, some modern luxuries were added, such as a grand staircase and electric chandeliers, the first building in Pittsburgh to have electric lights. A hydraulic elevator was installed by 1885.
“Anytime they would do something like this – today it would go viral – it was front-page news for days,” Stakeley said. “They were getting free marketing, free press – genius.”
Also in 1885, construction began on the new store at Fifth and Smithfield, and by 1886, Kaufmann’s occupied the entire block along Smithfield from Fifth to Diamond with a store known as “The Grand Depot.” Among the store’s features was a statue of the Goddess of Liberty holding a flaming torch, which was powered by gas. The statue likely represented the opportunity that Pittsburgh gave to the Kaufmann family.
Around that time, a free-standing, four-faced clock was installed at the building, reportedly with a sign that said “Meet Me Under the Clock.”
In 1898, the first section of the building that became the large Kaufmann’s store known to most Pittsburghers was constructed. In 1913, an addition was completed. As the new building was being constructed, down came “The Grand Depot” along with the four-faced clock.
A new clock was not part of the plans for the new store, which was not popular with Pittsburgers. In response, a giant bronze, electric, two-faced clock was built into the building.
Morris Kaufmann’s son, Edgar J. Kaufmann, dubbed “The Merchant Prince,” was named president of the company in 1920 at the age of 35.
“He actually did work in every department,” Stakeley said of Edgar. “There’s photos of him driving the truck, making deliveries. He had this job, but it was a job that he welcomed. He was in the right place at the right time. He marries his first cousin, Liliane, to solidify the business.”
The Yale graduate had two executive offices, one designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who also designed Fallingwater, which became Edgar’s home.
In 1930, $2.5 million (equivalent to $40 million today) was invested to renovate the first floor.
The family had keen business acumen. One of the store’s most revolutionary practices was printing the price of merchandise on cards accompanying each item. In the early days of department stores, there were no set prices for merchandise, and customers were forced to haggle, with people paying different prices for the same item.
“What they were doing was building trust with their consumers,” Stakeley said.
The Kaufmanns also were involved in many philanthropic efforts, such as the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House, a derivative of the present-day Jewish Community Center; the Civil Light Opera, and contributing toward the construction of the former Civic Arena.
In 1946, Kaufmann’s was acquired by the St. Louis-based May Company, but the Kaufmann name remained.
The last of the three buildings at the main store in Pittsburgh was built in 1955.
Kaufmann’s continued to thrive and in 1961, the first independent department store was opened in Monroeville. Other stores followed in Mt. Lebanon in 1965 and on McKnight Road in the North Hills in 1966. The first store outside of Pennsylvania came in 1974 in Steubenville, Ohio.
Kaufmann’s Pittsburgh business headquarters closed in 2002 and Macy’s assumed control of the company in 2006.
“It’s a sad day in Pittsburgh history as they retire the Kaufmann’s name,” Stakeley said.
On July 13, 2015, Macy’s announced it sold the downtown property to Core Reality, ending the building’s use as a department store after 128 years on Sept. 20, 2015.
Today, the building’s tenants include Target, Burlington Coat Factory and 311 apartments. There also is a parking garage.
Stakeley said he spent six months going through the entire collection of donated items.
“I took my time because I loved it,” he said. “I really enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed every collection I’ve worked on and processed, but I really enjoyed working on the Kaufmann’s collection. All of those materials are available to the public. Everything we collect, we collect it, we protect it and we make it accessible.”