JCPenney Department Store Downtown At 601 Main St.

[NenaE]

I never knew J.C. Penney's had a department store in downtown Houston. If I give you some clues, can you find me an address? The photo is from Historic Photos of Houston, by B. Chapman., p. 193. The photo is a downtown shot in 1961 of the Alaskan Furs Bldg. fire. In the background is the J.C. Penney's store, a midsize bldg. The bottom floor has a art moderne/ art deco style covering very similar to the Sears on S. Main., and the bldg is on a corner. Grant's is next door, I see a sign on the next bldg. "AI Life", it is a very tall high rise bldg. Malone's News Stand is seen in the foreground, before the fur company. Looks like there is a movie marquee in the foreground, as well.

[readam]

I never knew J.C. Penney's had a department store in downtown Houston. If I give you some clues, can you find me an address? The photo is from Historic Photos of Houston, by B. Chapman., p. 193. The photo is a downtown shot in 1961 of the Alaskan Furs Bldg. fire. In the background is the J.C. Penney's store, a midsize bldg. The bottom floor has a art moderne/ art deco style covering very similar to the Sears on S. Main., and the bldg is on a corner. Grant's is next door, I see a sign on the next bldg. "AI Life", it is a very tall high rise bldg. Malone's News Stand is seen in the foreground, before the fur company. Looks like there is a movie marquee in the foreground, as well.

The only Penney's that I knew of downtown was in a center that was directly South of the present day Houston Community College System building on Main and Elgin-- it included a Walgreens or some type of Drug store and if I remember also a Wonder Fabrics or some such store. 60 year old brain cells sometimes go out of kilter.

[NenaE]

http://www.cah.utexa...x=5&Submit.y=10

Penney's, from the Bob Bailey collection...see pic 3, roof shot, what bldg is that in the bkground?, top is "alamo" shaped.

Edited August 21, 2009 by NenaE

[sevfiv]

I saw the picture - cross reference in the city directory places this at 601 Main St. most likely (surface lot now, I believe).

[sevfiv]

Yep, found this: "On January 31, 1951, Rufus "Bullet" Templet suffered a heart attack at the Alaskan Fur Factory on Main Street and Texas."

http://www.houstonfiremuseum.org/lodd5.html

[silverartfox]

If memory serves, the old J.C. Penney store in downtown Houston was on the corner of Main and Texas, cater-corner from the Rice Hotel. The "White Sale" seen in the Bailey photos was a twice-yearly event in May or June and again in January...my mother used to drag me along when she went to buy our sheets and towels then. Sheets were all-cotton, came in one color: white...and two sizes: twin and full. There weren't any queen or king size beds back then.

Have no idea about the building with the Alamo-type facade. There were quite a few buildings with that look, but most disappeared during the post-WWII building boom.

[tmariar]

Here's a 1930's city directory list of department stores:

[57Tbird]

http://www.cah.utexa...x=5&Submit.y=10

Penney's, from the Bob Bailey collection...see pic 3, roof shot, what bldg is that in the bkground?, top is "alamo" shaped.

I think that is the top of the Chronicle Building.

Here is an old picture of the downtown Woolworth store that shows Penney's in the background.

[NenaE]

Thanks everyone for all the information, personal stories, & photos. Yeah, Penneys (across from the Rice Hotel, Texas & Main, diagonal corner) & Grants (next to it) are gone now, its a parking lot. The Fur Company, (directly across from the Rice) and the theater are also gone (high rise bldg. now). Theater book tells me it was the Crescent Theater (on Texas).

Edited August 21, 2009 by NenaE

[silverartfox]

Here's a 1930's city directory list of department stores:

I was amazed to see Kaplan's Ben Hur on Yale listed in the dime store category. For decades they were a source of quality items for the home (kitchen, tabletop, etc.).

[NenaE]

57Tbird, you are right...the bldg. in the background is the Houston Chronicle Bldg. Another good pic from the Houston Then & Now book (p. 18) shows it. The distinct third narrow window across the top is the proof, Texas & Travis.

[tmariar]

I was amazed to see Kaplan's Ben Hur on Yale listed in the dime store category. For decades they were a source of quality items for the home (kitchen, tabletop, etc.).

From what I can tell of the history of the place, Kaplan's and Ben Hur operated separately for a while (though owned by the same family) before being merged in the late 1950's. Maybe Ben Hur was less upscale, at least in the 30's? Though the Chronicle article I saw did say that they sold "home furnishings and kitchen items", while Kaplan's sold "name-brand and designer apparel." Strange - it also said that Ben Hur opened after WWII. But there it is in the 30's (I think 1937-38) directory.

[EspersonBuildings]

Pennys downtown was at the corner of Texas and Main. I remember they had the "person operated" elevtors. I believe the store was shut down/demolished in the mid 70's.

There was never a Pennys on Main and Elgin. That was a Woolworths and Walgreens on the southwest corner of Main and Elgin (along with that Wonder Fabrics store) directly south of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company building (now Houston Community College)

Edited September 9, 2009 by EspersonBuildings