The Crescent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Crescent | |
 |
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| Type | Department store |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1889 Spokane, Washington |
| Headquarters | Spokane, Washington |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares. |
The Crescent was a historic Spokane, Washington, department store. Acquired by Marshall Field & Company in 1962. It was renamed Frederick & Nelson in 1988, briefly, before closing in 1992. Its former store in downtown Spokane the south east corner of Main and Wall is now known as Crescent Court and houses retail stores and offices.
[edit] History
The Crescent, originally the Spokane Dry Goods Company, was Spokane's leading department store for decades. The original Crescent, located on West Riverside Avenue, opened for business on August 5, 1889, the day after the Great Fire that destroyed most of downtown Spokane. As the town’s only remaining dry goods store, its entire stock sold out on the first day of business. Owners Robert B. Paterson and James M. Comstock supported the post-fire effort and did not raise prices in order to take advantage of the disaster, which began the tradition, “be fair to everyone.” Construction of the Crescent building, designed by noted Spokane architect Loren L. Rand, began in 1917 and continued to 1919. Originally five stories in height, the building was later expanded to seven. In 1949 the Crescent purchased the Alexander Building, adjacent to the south, so that it extended half a city block. The final expansion was made in 1973 to include the NW corner of the block.
The first suburban Crescent store was built in 1959 at Northtown Mall, Spokane's first regional shopping center. Marshall Field, the Chicago store that had owned Seattle's Frederick & Nelson since 1929, purchased The Crescent in 1962. A second suburban Crescent was built in the Spokane Valley at University City shopping center around 1970.
[edit] Source
- Spokesman-Review archives
