My older sister also purchased her dining room set (Crescent) and bedroom set (Pennsylvania House) over 40 years ago and it is still in excellent condition. They also carried Pennsylvania House furniture. The company who made it was Crescent Furniture of Pennsylvania. My mom and dad took my husband and I to the Center City Strawbridges in 1989 and purchased our bedroom set, which we still have today and is in excellent condition. She also purchased fabric to make my sisters and I maxi skirts one Christmas. My mom bought Hollie Hobbie fabric in the fabric department and made bedroom pillows for my sisters and I, and purchased a doll kit and made it for my grandmother. People would rub the Boar's nose for good luck (brass was shiny on nose from all the handling, whereas the rest of him tarnished long ago), and toss pennies in the fountain he stood over. The Wild Boar statue on the first floor was as iconic as the Eagle at Wanamakers. We would have lunch in the Corinthian Room restaurant on the 6th floor, and many times there would be a line of folks waiting to be seated. Mom always preferred Strawbridges, however as she said their quality of merchandise was superior to any other store. My parents often took all five children "Downtown" to the Center City store for shopping trip to Strawbridges and Wanamakers. I have many great memories of Strawbridges and Clover stores. They said it proved that they had had excellent buyers who knew their market. When it closed I remember the salvagers being quoted in the newspaper that they had never seen a store with such even shrinkage of the merchandise. Clover was also the epitome of what a discount chain should be. We lost a great deal when that store closed. Stockton had such vision, sad they couldn't keep that heritage. It was a really bold move for the Strawbridges who did indeed stroll the floors at the Philly store and chat with us. My point is that it truly should be on your list. I have always had a great fondness for Christiana! We gave some quick ojt to the Delaware crew and held our breath as you could hear people racing in with their virgin blue credit cards! We worked the whole time the store was open and then dragged ourselves back on the buses. I remember how new it smelled and that it had both Philly AND Baltimore sports items since it was marketing to the northern Maryland area. They picked a number of Philly staff and we reported dressed to the nines to the store in the dark to be bused to Delaware to open the store. The Christiana store was most certainly part of the hay day of S&C and well before the sales and consolidations. I worked at 8th and Market starting in August 1975 in Pappagallo and then Children's Shoes on the 4th floor. Maureen McDevitt Greene 04 April, 2012 22:30 All of the original Strawbridge and Clothier stores continued to be branded as such until they were either closed (like Cherry Hill, Springfield, Christiana, Willow Grove) or converted to Macy's (Ardmore, Plymouth Meeting, Exton, Concord).or Burlington that was converted and then closed. Any other locations after that point to wear the new "Strawbridge's" name were mostly former John Wanamaker/Hecht's locations that were converted to Strawbridge's to garner the strength of that great Philadelphia name. Then S & C's last 2 stores to open were the King of Prussia and Willow Grove stores (in that order) that were former Abraham & Strauss locations. Concord (Wilmington De) was opened in 1983 replacing the old Wilmington store that was opened in the 50's. After Exton, Christiana (Newark, De) was opened in 1978. takeover in the mid-90s there were were 5 more stores opened by Strawbridge & Clothier. Unfortunately the store history on this page is incomplete. The King of Prussia store was built by Stockton Strawbridge as a showcase store, featuring a 3-story center atrium with hanging clock and painted ceiling, granite floors throughout, and the wild boar fountain, which had been relocated from the 8th & Market store. But things were very different under The May Company, so I left retailing for good in November 1999. After that store closed in January 1999, I was transferred to the Plymouth Meeting store as Area Manager of the third floor, which included Coats/Dresses/Womens World. I returned to Strawbridge's, now owned by The May Company, in May 1998 as the Area Manager for Jewelry/Handbags/Accessories at the Court at King of Prussia store. I left in June 1983 to accept a better position. After a few months, I was promoted to Department Manager of Sporting Goods, which was leased through Polly Brothers Sporting Goods. In 1982, I was transferred to the 8th & Market store as Assistant Department Manager of Mens Clothing/Young Mens/Boys 8-20. I worked in the Housewares department and also in Men's Shoes, Mens, and Women's Shoes/Handbags. I started working for Strawbridge & Clothier in July 1977.
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