Remembering Furchgott's Department Store
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1142458335_DfU8F-M.jpg)
Metro Jacksonville takes a look into the past of one of downtown's most blighted sore spots: The former Furchgott's Department Store building.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-jan-remembering-furchgotts-department-store
Thanks Lake for the great info as always. I didn't even know about this old department store. This was closed before I got here in 86'. I do remember some of the last DT department stores to go like Mc Cory's & Woolworth.
I remember going to Furchgott's as a little girl with my grandmother. It was the "fancy" department store where she bought her perfume.
The demolition of the Post Office Building has to go down as one of the biggest mistakes in the history of this city. What a beautiful building.
Great info! Anyone have current pictures of the interior?
i actually had a chance to tour the inside of that building a few years back. It still has the department store look. Mirrored columns, etc. It is sad. Could you imagine if Stein Mart put a store in there? oh the possibilities.
The worst thing about this is the post office that was torn down to build this mundane building.
yeah that post office looked so beautiful
Furchgotts was a fancy store. They carried the best of everything. When you entered the store, the street level floor was always decorated elaborately, up to the ceilings, with the seasonal decorations. They didn't have to rely on Sunday advertising inserts to get customers. Just walking by their store on the sidewalk, you looked in their windows and saw wonderful displays of merchandise that encouraged you go in and shop.
The elevators were run by ladies who sat on a little wooden seat and told you which floor carried the items you wanted. The clerks knew their departments and were very helpful getting you just the right items. If you needed clothes, they helped you size them and try them on. Real customer service.
Downtown had inexpensive merchandise stores, and then they had Cohens, Rosenblums, and Furchgotts.
Yeah the original post office building definitely was a beautiful building. Looks like Jacksonville has a long history with making bad decisions with downtown. Sad thing is, there's no real change in sight...
Marsh and Saxelbye designed so many intricately beautiful buildings/houses, and then they put up this work? The least they could have done was to pay homage to the absolutely gorgeous building they were replacing. If I was a cash rich developer, I would build an exact replica of the old post office in Jacksonville. The Post Office was the worst building to demolish and still to me stands out as Jacksonville's prettiest old building.
Quote from: Jumpinjack on January 06, 2011, 10:20:55 AM
Downtown had inexpensive merchandise stores, and then they had Cohens, Rosenblums, and Furchgotts.
I believe Rosenblum's is still around, no? One at the beach and one on San Jose?
There is/was? a really small store in San Jose.
I'm glad they down the marble towers of the old post office... considering how nice our current downtown post office is :-\
Quote from: simms3 on January 06, 2011, 10:46:39 AM
Quote from: Jumpinjack on January 06, 2011, 10:20:55 AM
Downtown had inexpensive merchandise stores, and then they had Cohens, Rosenblums, and Furchgotts.
I believe Rosenblum's is still around, no? One at the beach and one on San Jose?
It is. They have two stores, one on San Jose near University and one at the Beach.
Thanks for posting this. I love reading about the old downtown stores. I wish I had seen them while they were still open.
Wow, the Milk Bar. That's a name I haven't heard in some time. And that post office looked really nice!
I hope a bookstore does move into the Zodiac"s former location. However, I have a big problem with the next four floors not being converted to residential units. That would be a good opportunity to try out that density and urban infill concept. There are some apartments just across the street. Screw the storage space, the building will still look dead above the first floor if that happens! I'm sure with a little bit of planning, there's plenty of room for book storage.
Furchgott's was more my father's day...
but I popped in this thread b/c of this:
QuoteWow, the Milk Bar. That's a name I haven't heard in some time.
Oh Milk Bar, what a wonderful time to be alive!
Rosenblum's is still alive and kickin. One in Mandarin, one at the beach. Going to use my Teal Deals/Rosenblums coupon to get flossed up for Best of Jax party at the end of the month.
I did give a brief history lesson last night on Lerner Shop.
Isn't there a sports bar opening on this(Furchgotti/Chew/Zodiac) block soon?
As one that enjoyed Jacksonville's downtown in the 50's and 60's I'm here to tell y'all there was NOTHING mundane about Furchgott's... EVER. Whatever their building might have lacked on the outside, they more then made up for it on the inside.
Furchgott's was top shelf all the way through, every bit the equal of Sak's or Macy's, maybe even better. The interior of the "new" 1980's Regency Mall store was done in rose marble, and they had robot's that wandered around, introduced themselves and made suggestions on gifts based on what you told them. TRUE.
Rosenblums in that same era was the creme de la creme of the starched collar nabob set, and something of a fad for students at area high schools. "Psst... Sally got that at Rosenblums!" was a higher compliment then "She went to Jarreds." I haven't been back in one of the surviving Rosenblums stores, but if they are anything like the in the past, you can't go wrong for appearance and style, you most certainly WILL impress the boss.
OCKLAWAHA
Well if you say it was every bit the equal of Macy's or Saks, then I have questions. Macy's is a mid-level store (most being lower scale than the Dillards at Town Center, and none being higher scale). Saks and Macy's can't really be in the same sentence. That being said, Rosenblum's certainly has some nice product.
Does anyone have any memories to share on Levy-Wolf or Purcell's? Those seem to be the downtown department stores I don't hear much about amidst reflections on Cohen's, Furchgott's, Rosenblum's, and Sears. Possibly because of their being mid-level or less dramatic stores?
I'll be making the rounds in JPL's special collections department over the next few weeks. Ivey's is up next on my hit list. My research has just started but I do know that Purcell's last location was built as a part of Downtown Center (the initial name of the complex where Ivey's was and what is now the JEA Tower).
Where was Furchgott's at the Orange Park Mall? What department store or retail took its place?
Maybe if they sold fishing gear, guns, hardware, and camping stuff . But fancy perfume............naw wouldn't go there.
Speaking of the old post office building, here is a picture from shorpy.com that dates back to 1910. You can see the post office building on the left hand side of the photo.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/9648
(http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a25084a.jpg)
^^That is one delicious photo. Look at all the lighting and signage...a drug store, pool hall, haberdashery, buffet. At least we got rid of all those power lines.
Well atleast we have not done what we are imfamous for doing... That is demolition. It is great to see the building is there. It would be nice if the exterior was taking care of better though
Quote from: duvaldude08 on January 07, 2011, 11:38:30 AM
Well atleast we have not done what we are imfamous for doing... That is demolition. It is great to see the building is there. It would be nice if the exterior was taking care of better though
So true! The exterior could use some TLC...
Quote from: Luveenyah on January 06, 2011, 12:54:25 PM
Wow, the Milk Bar. That's a name I haven't heard in some time. And that post office looked really nice!
I miss the Milk Bar!
What a pitty that Post office building is not still around. What a gem that was.
Furchgott's was top drawer. My grandmother's favorite store. And, all the help not only knew her, they knew her shopping preferences. You could call them and they had your order ready before you arrived. Alas, those brass elevators run by many of the same lady operators for decades - everyone knew them as well. Ahhhh.... the days of personal service by help that never turned over, just retired from a job. Gone forever.
Add to your list of venerable downtown stores that mostly survived into the 70's to mid-80's: the Luggage Shop, F. W. Woolworths, JC Penneys, Sears Roebuck, Gus's Shoe Repair, Jake's Newstand, that orange juice stand (name escapes me at the moment), Sunshine Stamp & Coin, Paulus (?) Music, Underwoods and Jacobs Jewelers, May Cohens, even the Downtown post office (old Federal courthouse's ground floor). One of the oldest remaining businesses often overlooked is Pete's Pawn Shop, now known as Fox Jewelry and Loan, on Bay Street near the Federal Building.
QuoteWhat a pitty that Post office building is not still around. What a gem that was.
+1
It is imperative that we hang on to what remains. And in future building designs, possibly incorporate some of the beautiful examples that have been destroyed.
Quote from: Timkin on February 12, 2011, 10:25:30 PM
It is imperative that we hang on to what remains. And in future building designs, possibly incorporate some of the beautiful examples that have been destroyed.
I hope so too.
Ocklawaha, you are so right about the "fads" of the times. I was at Ft. Caroline Junior High School in the mid 1960's and it was a big deal if you got something from Furchgotts or Rosenblums. We had to have Gant shirts with a loop on the back and scotch grain saddle loafers with a matching belt and Gold Cup socks that were either bright green, yellow or blue. I guess you would call it the preppy look today. Is Gus's Shoe Repair still around? I remember going into this shop in 1978 as a college student and standing in line to pick up my shoes. When I got to the counter I think it was Gus who asked me for my "pickup ticket." I told him I left my ticket in my car. He peers over his glasses, turns and points to a wall of several hundred pair of shoes and says; "Young man I have been in business 40 years and I have never had a car come in here and pickup a pair of shoes before. Next you'll be telling me that your shoes are brown and they lace up. Do I have time to look for them? No! Next!" The whole placed erupted in laughter.
I would love to tour the old Furchgotts department store. I remember going there as a child and even as a young adult to shop. It was always upscale and such a nice place to shop. A few years ago I worked on the downtown loft tour. I'd love to see that again so people can get reaquainted with our downtown historical buildings and their possibilities.
I remember this store when I lived in Jacksonville in the 1960's. I also went to the grand opening of Furchgotts in the mid-1960's at Regency Square Mall. Gant shirts were the rage, penny loafers and funky color Gold Cup socks.
However, there was a dark side to this department store which never made the local news. Covered up rather quickly. A dear friend of mine's father was accidentally killed in the downtown store. My friend's father was a long time employee and left a family to care for. The Furchgott family never came forward nor offered any assistance. Not right. A shameful act committed on this poor family.
Do you remember how your father's friend was accidentally killed? We've been asked by History Press, a Charleston, SC-based publisher, to develop a book on a Jacksonville department store. While Cohen Brothers will be the central store covered, I'd like for the book to give a comprehensive overview of retail in Jacksonville from the Civil War up to 2012, so Furchgott's will be included.
Is the spiral merchandise chute still in the building?
During the Christmas shopping season, the corner window of Furchgott's had an animated display in it that changed each year. You know, toy trains, elves wrapping presents, flying reindeer and so on. The one in Cohen Bros. was much bigger, but both were customer draws during the season. The Cohen Bros. window was on the Duval/Hogan corner.
Levy-Wolf was the men's store successor to one of the departments in Levy's which occupied the entire building - now offices - across Adams Street from Furchgott's. It was as nice a men's store as the city had - quite comparable to the Rosenblum's store across Hogan Streeet from Furchgott's. (Neither store carried the very pricy kind of men's clothing that the present Rosenblum's does.) Even in the early 60's one could have a store account at Rosenblum's. That ended when a strange thing called BankAmericard came along. Rosenblum's was owned by three brothers, Herman, John and Sheldon, and sons of Sheldon are the owners of the two stores still around.
In Levy's, the ladies could purchase fur coats - mink, sable, etc. I'll bet you can't find such a coat for sale within 100 miles of here today. But then such fur coats are not nearly as unobjectionable today as they once were. PETA wasn't around back then.
I also can't remember the name of the OJ bar, but I'm pretty sure it was in the FT&G Building on the corner of Laura and Forsyth. FT&G = Florida Title & Guaranty. When it was torn down, the entry columns were left standing, presiding over the parking lot it became until Barnett Bank built what is now the B of A Building.
Stein Mart entered the local scene billing itself as a discounter, and that's why it was unwelcome at Regency Square. It changed for the better with the times. Not so Regency Square.
Gus & Co. still has a location downtown - on Monroe Street across from the library. The library, of course, occupies former retail spaces that once housed the Luggage Shop, LaRose Shoes, and others.
I disagree about the old post office. Today it simply would look just too out of place. The non-functional steeple (or whatever it is called) with the clock makes as much sense as the FBC lighthouse.
What I find odd is how almost all of the locally owned or controlled very large businesses have either totally disappeared or have been taken over by even larger businesses from other parts. Among them: Atlantic National Bank (the Lane family); Florida National Bank (Ed Ball, DuPonts, and Florida East Coast RR); Barnett Bank; Independent Life; Gulf Life; Peninsular Insurance Co. (And I wonder why we still have streets named after some of them - seems an outdated and no longer deserved tribute.)
And speaking of disappearing acts, does anyone understand how downtown was able to support The George Washington, Mayflower, Seminole and Robert Meyer hotels?
Back to Furchgott's: Wasn't the health club in the basement owned by Kim Alexis, former super model? Does anyone remember the distinctive bell that would sound when an elevator reached each floor?
All of that activity existed in another age I don't think we will ever see again there. It was the only place - certainly the main place in town where business was conducted and shopping took place. Restaurants thrived - Leb's, Berney's (the man in green), Morrisons - home of the sizzling' steak, Nicola's Italian (on Main Street, believe it or not).
Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.
@WM Nussbaum. You say: "And speaking of disappearing acts, does anyone understand how downtown was able to support The George Washington, Mayflower, Seminole and Robert Meyer hotels?"
What exactly do you mean by your question? Are you familiar with the time frame of Jacksonville during the late 1960's and 1970's?
Let me know and I may be able to shed some light on it for you.
MajorC
Quote from: MajorCordite on May 21, 2012, 10:09:11 PM
@WM Nussbaum. You say: "And speaking of disappearing acts, does anyone understand how downtown was able to support The George Washington, Mayflower, Seminole and Robert Meyer hotels?"
What exactly do you mean by your question? Are you familiar with the time frame of Jacksonville during the late 1960's and 1970's?
Let me know and I may be able to shed some light on it for you.
MajorC
I agree with MajorC that understanding the success of the downtown hotels requires an understanding of the context in which they thrived and later declined. As a major railroad hub, Jacksonville had a great number of travelers who chose to stay downtown. Furthermore, business at these hotels was helped by the fact that downtown density afforded it with an abundance of events, conventions and nightlife. Of course, as the railroads declined and highways expanded, lodging shifted to what was more convenient for motorists. All of this, of course, is strictly my conjecture and could be either validated or debunked...
Major C and Jaxon, you are right, of course. The flight to the suburbs explains so much. Downtown was the business hub until that happened, and what it would take to make downtown vibrant again is a real riddle - though doing something to attract folks to live there is certainly a big part of the equation.
Back in the day - say the late '60s and earlier - downtown was not a long distance destination, and most everyone knew how to get there. That is not true today. A lot of folks don't really know where it is and when they get there profess to being frustrated by one-way streets that I find quite easy to navigate. But parking was a problem; not only patrons, but many employees of the stores had to park somewhere, and there wasn't much available other that on the street. And that is why the suburban mall met with such success.
Once upon a time there were movie theaters - and some quite decent ones downtown, and the only ones in the 'burbs were mostly rink-dink or drive-ins. (Does anyone here remember drive-ins? and what you could do during a show?) Oh, those good old days really were good old days.
Quote from: WmNussbaum on June 02, 2012, 09:57:20 AM
Major C and Jaxon, you are right, of course. The flight to the suburbs explains so much. Downtown was the business hub until that happened, and what it would take to make downtown vibrant again is a real riddle - though doing something to attract folks to live there is certainly a big part of the equation.
Back in the day - say the late '60s and earlier - downtown was not a long distance destination, and most everyone knew how to get there. That is not true today. A lot of folks don't really know where it is and when they get there profess to being frustrated by one-way streets that I find quite easy to navigate. But parking was a problem; not only patrons, but many employees of the stores had to park somewhere, and there wasn't much available other that on the street. And that is why the suburban mall met with such success.
Once upon a time there were movie theaters - and some quite decent ones downtown, and the only ones in the 'burbs were mostly rink-dink or drive-ins. (Does anyone here remember drive-ins? and what you could do during a show?) Oh, those good old days really were good old days.
Drive -Ins ..... Lets see... the Fox ,, The Midway, Playtime, Airbase ( closed about the time I came along) ..
Great overview of the docks. Considering loading was done by hand, thousands must have been employed at the docks. Nobody mentions the results of replacing thousands of downtown jobs with parking, on its economy.
Quote from: Timkin on June 02, 2012, 06:24:09 PM
Quote from: WmNussbaum on June 02, 2012, 09:57:20 AM
Major C and Jaxon, you are right, of course. The flight to the suburbs explains so much. Downtown was the business hub until that happened, and what it would take to make downtown vibrant again is a real riddle - though doing something to attract folks to live there is certainly a big part of the equation.
Back in the day - say the late '60s and earlier - downtown was not a long distance destination, and most everyone knew how to get there. That is not true today. A lot of folks don't really know where it is and when they get there profess to being frustrated by one-way streets that I find quite easy to navigate. But parking was a problem; not only patrons, but many employees of the stores had to park somewhere, and there wasn't much available other that on the street. And that is why the suburban mall met with such success.
Once upon a time there were movie theaters - and some quite decent ones downtown, and the only ones in the 'burbs were mostly rink-dink or drive-ins. (Does anyone here remember drive-ins? and what you could do during a show?) Oh, those good old days really were good old days.
Drive -Ins ..... Lets see... the Fox ,, The Midway, Playtime, Airbase ( closed about the time I came along) ..
Dont remember their names, but I remember drive ins at 48th & Main, Atlantic & Bartram (now a Publix), & University Blvd. N. & Jack Rd. (became a KMart, now a library) The one on University was $5 a carload on Saturday nights back in the early 70s.
If only we had a couple drive-ins. There is something to do with a large piece of property. :) I would still go to them.
Anyone else remember when the Playtime showed adult films?
An X-rated drive in. ONLY IN JACKSONVILLE.
Quote from: BackinJax05 on June 03, 2012, 10:11:12 PM
Anyone else remember when the Playtime showed adult films?
An X-rated drive in. ONLY IN JACKSONVILLE.
I thought that was all that Playtime showed. A church bought the property a few years ago. Now I believe it sits unused. Perfect spot to re-create a drive in , since it is still a vacant property.
Quote from: BackinJax05 on June 02, 2012, 08:53:07 PM
Quote from: Timkin on June 02, 2012, 06:24:09 PM
Quote from: WmNussbaum on June 02, 2012, 09:57:20 AM
Major C and Jaxon, you are right, of course. The flight to the suburbs explains so much. Downtown was the business hub until that happened, and what it would take to make downtown vibrant again is a real riddle - though doing something to attract folks to live there is certainly a big part of the equation.
Back in the day - say the late '60s and earlier - downtown was not a long distance destination, and most everyone knew how to get there. That is not true today. A lot of folks don't really know where it is and when they get there profess to being frustrated by one-way streets that I find quite easy to navigate. But parking was a problem; not only patrons, but many employees of the stores had to park somewhere, and there wasn't much available other that on the street. And that is why the suburban mall met with such success.
Once upon a time there were movie theaters - and some quite decent ones downtown, and the only ones in the 'burbs were mostly rink-dink or drive-ins. (Does anyone here remember drive-ins? and what you could do during a show?) Oh, those good old days really were good old days.
Drive -Ins ..... Lets see... the Fox ,, The Midway, Playtime, Airbase ( closed about the time I came along) ..
Dont remember their names, but I remember drive ins at 48th & Main, Atlantic & Bartram (now a Publix), & University Blvd. N. & Jack Rd. (became a KMart, now a library) The one on University was $5 a carload on Saturday nights back in the early 70s.
Don't forget "Normandy (Loew's) Drive -IN" off of 228 Normandy Blvd a Publix shopping center is there now.
From an old timer who may have been to every drive-in in Jax history.I will probably get a couple of names wrong and forget on3 or two, but here goes. The Fox which I think was the drive in on the north side of Normandy where Publix is a few feet west of 295. I think it was called the Soutel Drive-in (I may be wrong) on Soutel on the Northside. There was the Midway, which I think was either on the site of the WalMart on Beach near Southside Blvd, or the corner of University and Atlantic. I think the one on U & A was the Atlantic Drive-in though. I can't remember the name but there was a drive-in at the corner of University and Phillips. There was the University on University Blvd on the site that is now the Library. If I'm not mistaken they tore down the drive-in to build a short lived KMart on that site. There was a drive in on Beach, on the Beach side of Beach Blvd. I never went but the Airbase was on 17. The Normandy Drive-in was on the site of what was the Normandy Mall. There was the Blanding where the Vystar Bank now lives. And of course the Playtime. There was a drive-in on Amelia Island on A1A. The Main Street was on the site that is now the former Food Lion strip center. The Oceanway was on North Main passed Oceanway middle school and before the entrance to RCMP. The Pinecrest was on Howard Road right off Main Street. I think I remember the Airbase name, I just don't remember where it was. There was the Lake Forest Drive-in but I can't remember the street, but I went there a few times. I don't think I ever went to the Beach, The Airbase, the Normandy or the Blanding, but I have gone to all the others.
Airbase Drive in was on the site of where 84 ( I think this is right ) Lumber company. Just south of the Navy Surplus Facility on the West Side of Hwy 17 and just North of Collins Road. In fact you could turn to go on to Collins or directly into Airbase drive in. It closed in the early 60s
Quote from: avonjax on June 04, 2012, 08:20:12 AM
There was the Lake Forest Drive-in but I can't remember the street
Does anyone remember where this might have been?
How did an article about Furchgott's evolve into a discussion about drive ins? :)
Oh well, drive ins are another thing kids of today will never experience. Or maybe even their parents. Drive ins have been gone for a LONG time now. :'(
Quote from: BackinJax05 on June 05, 2012, 02:12:24 AM
How did an article about Furchgott's evolve into a discussion about drive ins? :)
Oh well, drive ins are another thing kids of today will never experience. Or maybe even their parents. Drive ins have been gone for a LONG time now. :'(
It happens , BIJ 05. Didn't really mean to .
I definitely Miss the drive-ins .. Most notably the Midway, which was just blocks from where I lived at the time. Funny.. At least two drive-in sites are now occupied by Wal-marts. I have to wonder why Theaters still exist, but no drive-ins? what a great era that was.
I have a couple of comments about the development of the waterfront between CSX and the Independent Life/Modis Tower. During Haydon Burns tenure this piece of waterfront was seen as a blight area. Even before Burns all of the waterfront to the shipyards was considered an "industrial blight zone." Jacksonville, at that time, never considered anything as having historical value. Jacksonville was the Bold New City of the South and that meant everything old must go in the name of progress.
Jacksonville lacked a historical culture like those found in the older cities of Charleston and/or Savannah. Perhaps if things were different then this maritime district could have been preserved. I went to the grand opening of the new and modern Haydon Burns Library when I was in grammar school. This was Jacksonville on the cutting edge of modernity. Now look at it. How long did the new last? Not Long.
Even as late as 1970 we were still going downtown to shop, going to movies and visiting older eating establishments. Looking back, I now see this time being much like visiting your elder grandparents in their final days. You could since the demise. And how quickly did it all happen. I worked with the Auchter Company when they began demolishing the buildings to build the Independent Life Tower. Even during the construction years of 1971 - 1972 we would walk up the street and have lunch in the older buildings that still had lunch counters.
From 1968 through 1971, as a student of Terry Parker High School, we always took our dates to the Atlantic Drive-In on Atlantic Blvd and Bartram. (Publix is there now). Saturdays were spent at the beach and come nightfall we headed to the movies. Money was short and it was chore to find money for gas, dinner, and a movie. I had a Volkswagen Van Camper and sometimes we snuck in a couple of people by hiding them under the back fold-out seat.
I remember one time we came straight from the beach and we had no shoes with us, not even a pair of flip flops. Our dates insisted that we buy them a box of popcorn and a couple of Cokes. My friend and I attempted to get out of the van but the ground was covered with sharp rocks and gravel and we couldn't walk. The girls whined and we gave up our man cards. I found a couple of used butter popcorn boxes on the ground, under the van, and I proceeded to take my pocket knife and cut out sections for my feet to fit into. I walked to the concession stand with butter and yellow oil oozing between my toes. Needless to say everybody at the concession stand was laughing at my red and white, hot butter square pop corn shoes.
It wasn't a bad night after all. Next week I celebrate my 40th wedding anniversary with this young girl who was my date. I'm going to surprise her with a box of popcorn. NO and not on the feet!
This is an old thread, but I wanted to post this pic:
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j54/Treadwell_Jay/07284571-a2d0-47f8-8689-7d230ce54f9e_zpsiusaqoql.jpg
Old gift boxes such as this one are still a part of my family's Christmases. The boxes are still too sturdy and useful to toss out. Ivey's boxes show up as well. They get packed up with all the Xmas stuff every year.
Well the Hayden Burns Library is "born again", perhaps the same can be done for Furchgott's.