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Historic place

Jordan Marsh Company

Boston, Boston, MA

The iconic Jordan Marsh flagship store dominated this corner of Boston for 115 years, housing the nation's first departmentalized store and defining downtown shopping for generations.

📅 1861–1975🏛️ StoreHistoric
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The story

Jordan Marsh began as a dry goods wholesaler but in 1861 decided to sell directly to the public, acquiring a brownstone building at 450 Washington Street. The store became legendary in New England retail, with partners Eben Jordan and Benjamin Marsh establishing what many consider the first true department store in America. By 1880, a new corner building with a distinctive clock tower was constructed. The store occupied the entire block, expanding into adjacent buildings on Washington and Avon Streets. Customers traveled from streetcar suburbs to shop there, and the store became a cultural landmark—offering services like a post office, telegraph station, and waiting rooms for shoppers. The original building stood until 1975-1976 when it was demolished and replaced with a modern shopping center. The destruction of this beloved Boston landmark contributed directly to the creation of the Boston Landmarks Commission. Jordan Marsh stores became Macy's beginning in 1995, ending the company's independent history after 144 years.

Everything that was here

Did you know?

An 1884 Boston Post article called it "the most colossal store the world ever saw, surpassing by far anything that had been attempted either in New York or Philadelphia."
When the building was demolished in 1976, outraged longtime customers cut up their Jordan Marsh credit cards in protest.
Eben Jordan Jr., son of the founder, built the Boston Opera House and funded Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory, making him a major patron of the arts.
The store featured a clock tower on the Washington-Summer corner that became a recognizable landmark for generations of Boston shoppers.

Connected places

Macy's

St. Louis, MO
Macy's

The Walnut Room

Chicago, IL
Macy's

Gus Mayer

New Orleans, LA
Macy's

Krauss Department Store

New Orleans, LA
Macy's

Explore the full web of connections on the map.

Nearby history

Filene's Basement (original)

426 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108 · 52 m away

Locke-Ober

3 Winter Place · 99 m away

Omni Parker House

60 School Street · 304 m away

Jacob Wirth Restaurant

31 Stuart Street · 484 m away

Combat Zone

Washington Street between Boylston and Kneeland Streets, Boston, MA 02111 · 518 m away

Steaming Kettle (Oriental Tea Company)

63-65 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108 · 533 m away

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