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Macy's Herald Square (originally named the R. H. Macy and Company Store) is a
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
building on West
34th Street 34th Street most commonly refers to 34th Street (Manhattan) 34th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs the width of Manhattan Island from the West Side Highway on the West Side to FDR Drive on t ...
at Herald Square in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, New York, United States. It was designed by A. W. Cordes and Theodore de Lemos for Isidor and Nathan Straus, and opened in 1902; expansions designed by Robert D. Kohn opened in 1924, 1928, and 1931, and completed the present-day building. It is the flagship store of the
Macy's Macy's is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. The first store was located in Manhattan on Sixth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, south of the present-day flagship store at Herald Square on West 34 ...
department store chain, and the headquarters of its holding company Macy's, Inc. The store spans , of which is selling space, making it the largest department store in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
and was made a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1978. and  


History


Previous flagship locations

Macy's was founded by Rowland Hussey Macy, who between 1843 and 1855 opened four retail
dry goods Dry goods is a historic term describing the type of product line a store carries, which differs by region. The term comes from the textile trade, and the shops appear to have spread with the mercantile trade across the British Empire (and Common ...
stores, including the original Macy's store in downtown
Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States census. Located o ...
, established in 1851 to serve the mill industry employees of the area. They all failed, but he learned from his mistakes. He moved to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in 1858 and established a new store named "R.H Macy Dry Goods" at
Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue, also known as Avenue of the Americas, is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The avenue is commercial for much of its length, and traffic runs northbound, or uptown. Sixth Avenue begins four blocks b ...
on the corner of 14th Street. On the company's first day of business on October 28, 1858, sales totaled $11.08, equivalent to $ today. From the very beginning, Macy's logo has included a star in one form or another, echoing a red star-shaped tattoo that Macy got as a teenager when he worked on a Nantucket whaling ship. As the business grew, Macy's expanded into neighboring buildings, opening more department stores, and used publicity devices such as a store
Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
, themed exhibits, and illuminated window displays to draw in customers. The store later moved to 18th Street and Broadway, on the " Ladies' Mile", the elite shopping district of the time, where it remained for nearly forty years. In 1875, Macy took on two partners, Robert M. Valentine (1850–1879), a nephew; and Abiel T. La Forge (1842–1878) of
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, who was the husband of a cousin. Macy died just two years later in 1877 from
Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine. It was frequently accompanied ...
. La Forge died in 1878 and Valentine died in 1879. Ownership of the company was passed down through the Macy family until 1895, when the company, now called "R. H. Macy & Co.", was acquired by Isidor Straus and his brother Nathan Straus, who had previously held a license to sell china and other goods in the Macy's store.


Move

In 1902, the flagship store moved uptown to Herald Square at
34th Street 34th Street most commonly refers to 34th Street (Manhattan) 34th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs the width of Manhattan Island from the West Side Highway on the West Side to FDR Drive on t ...
and Broadway, so far north of the other main dry-goods emporia that it had to offer a steam wagonette to transport customers from 14th Street to 34th Street.Abelson, Elaine S. "R. H. Macy" in , p.1102 Although the Herald Square store initially consisted of just one building, it expanded through new construction, eventually occupying almost the entire block bounded by Seventh Avenue on the west, Broadway on the east, 34th Street on the south and 35th Street on the north, with the exception of a small pre-existing building on the corner of 35th Street and Seventh Avenue and another on the corner of 34th Street and Broadway. Robert H. Smith purchased this latter 5-story building in 1900 for $375,000 () with the idea of getting in the way of Macy's becoming the largest store in the world: it is largely supposed that Smith, who was a neighbor of the Macy's store on 14th Street, was acting on behalf of Siegel-Cooper, which had built what they thought was the world's largest store on Sixth Avenue in 1896. Macy's ignored the tactic, and simply built around the building, which now carries Macy's "shopping bag" sign by lease arrangement. That building earned the name Million Dollar Corner when it was finally sold for a then record $1 million on December 6, 1911. The original Broadway store was designed in 1901 and 1902 by architects Theodore de Lemos and A. W. Cordes under their architecture firm De Lemos & Cordes, and was erected by the Fuller Construction Company. It has a
Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
facade, but has been updated in many details. Other additions to the west were completed in 1924 and 1928, and the Seventh Avenue building in 1931, all designed by architect Robert D. Kohn, the newer buildings becoming increasingly
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
in style., pp.225–226 The store boasts several wooden escalators still in operation.


Renovations

In 2012, Macy's began the first full renovation of the flagship store at a reported cost of $400 million (~$ in ). Studio V Architecture, a New York-based firm, was the overall master plan architect of the project, with Kevin Kennon Architects providing the exterior and entryway designs. The renovations completed in November 2015 but Macy's continues to modify the store to suit changing customer tastes and maximize return on the real estate. In 2016, the company explored adding one or two towers to the building to house hotel or office space. The next year, it considered turning the structure's roof into a park. Macy's unveiled plans in 2019 to build a office building atop the existing store. The following February, the plans were updated: the tower would be over tall and consist of of space, including a sky lobby. The tower's construction would also include improvements to the nearby area.


Incidents

In August 2014, Macy's agreed to a $650,000 penalty proposed by the
New York Attorney General The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has existed in various forms since 1626, originally established under the Dutch c ...
to settle a number of claims of racial profiling and false detention involving nearly two dozen African-American, Latino and other customers at the Herald Square store who had lodged complaints in February 2013. As part of the deal, the retail group agreed to introduce policies to ensure all customers were treated equally regardless of race or ethnicity. On June 1–2, 2020, during the George Floyd protests in New York City, 17 people attempted to loot Macy's Herald Square as part of a series of looting incidents around Midtown Manhattan but were thwarted by NYPD. The store had been boarded up on May 31 in advance of the protests, but looters took the boards apart. Though physical damage was limited, ''The New York Times'' reported that it was symbolic of Macy's financial troubles, which had resulted after the location was forced to close during the
COVID-19 pandemic in New York City The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City was confirmed on March 1, 2020, though later research showed that the novel coronavirus had been circulating in New York City since January, with cases of community transmission confirme ...
.


Events

Macy's is noted for its elaborate animated holiday and Christmas window displays in many of its U.S. stores, but most notably at the Herald Square location. Each year presents a different theme shown in six windows on the Broadway side of the building. Each window includes animated displays with complex scenery, attracting thousands of viewers. Since 2012, the windows have been designed, fabricated and animated by Standard Transmission Productions, based in
Red Hook, Brooklyn Red Hook is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City, United States, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. It is located on a peninsula projecting into the Upper New York Bay and is bounded by the Gowanus Expressway and the Ca ...
. In summer 2007, Macy's mounted a public art exhibition at the Herald Square flagship, using its windows to display pieces from fashion designers Misaki Kawai,
Anna Sui Anna Sui (; born August 4, 1955) is an American fashion designer. Her brand categories include several fashion lines, footwear, cosmetics, Perfume, fragrances, eyewear, jewelry, Fashion accessory, accessories and home goods. Sui was named one ...
, and John F. Simon Jr. ''Art Under Glass'' was viewable to the public through that year's
fashion week A fashion week is a week-long fashion industry event where fashion designers, brands, or "houses" display their latest collections in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media which influences upcoming fashion trends for the current and appro ...
. Other events include: *
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
: the world's largest
parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
, it takes place annually on
Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...
and ends at Macy's Herald Square. * Macy's Santaland: an area with Christmas decorations and toys where children can meet and be photographed with Santa Claus. * Macy's Flower Show: an annual spring event where flowers are coordinated to bloom as they are installed in the store. * Macy's Believe campaign: a
fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
for the Make-A-Wish Foundation used during the
holiday season The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...
.


Partnerships

Through a partnership with tech retailer b8ta, "The Market @ Macy's" section features pop-up spaces for new brands.


Miscellany

The store has an in-store jail, Room 140, where customers suspected of shoplifting are detained.


See also

* Macy's, Inc., for a history of the company formerly known as Federated Department Stores, owners of Macy's * National Historic Landmarks in New York City *
National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets This is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Manhattan Island, the primary portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely po ...


References


Further reading

* Hungerford, Edwar
"Early History of Macy's"
in ''The Romance of a Great Store'' (1922)


External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places in New York 1900s architecture in the United States 1902 establishments in New York City 34th Street (Manhattan) Broadway (Manhattan) Commercial buildings completed in 1902 Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan Department store buildings in the United States Department stores on the National Register of Historic Places Herald Square Midtown Manhattan National Historic Landmarks in Manhattan New York State Register of Historic Places in New York County Seventh Avenue (Manhattan) Tourist attractions in Manhattan