It was originally John Wanamaker’s, started by John Wanamaker who in a fit of modesty named the department store after himself. My father fixed TVs there in the early 1950s when I was still a gleam in his eye, and I got married on the other side of City Hall at Arch St. UMC in ‘76, used to go to the store regularly. It was still JW’s when I left Philly back in ‘79 while the gettin’ was still good, but it was bought out by Macy’s soon after.
The store is famous for having one of the largest theater organs in the world, which is still referred to as the Wanamaker organ in AGO circles.
I, too, have fond memories of Wanamaker’s. It was like the village crossroads. In the days before Fakebook, you would see people in there you hadn’t seen in months, or years. Plus the wonderful selections and service. It was a true destination, head and shoulders above Strawbridges, Gimbels and Lits down the street. Their Christmas display with the organ was spectacular for the kids. I saved a few small souvenirs from the store—small boxes with the distinctive logo—and set them under the Christmas tree some years.
Suburban malls did their part to kill cities.