Department Store

Shepard’s Department Store Block // 1903

Buildings of New England1 Comment

Do you remember Shepard’s Department Store?


At the corner of Westminster and Union Streets in Downtown Providence stands the Shepard Company Building, a hulking reminder of the late 19th and early 20th century dominance of the department store and the American downtown as a retail destination. The company opened in 1880 in a modest 6,400-square-foot storefront, and saw immediate success, eventually occupying an entire city block. The company grew piecemeal into neighboring buildings between 1880-1903 when the entire 300,000+ square foot block was completed from plans by Martin & Hall, architects. Architecturally, the building tells its own history in layers: it started as a modest three-story Italianate structure, and later additions brought two-story arched entrances angled into the corners at Westminster and Union, and Washington and Union, that once lured shoppers inside to terrazzo floors with a sea of merchandise. Outside, a freestanding cast-iron clock became a beloved meeting point, with generations of Rhode Islanders arranging to gather “at the clock”. A massive fire in March 1923, caused over one million dollars’ worth of damage, but the structure was restored under Hall’s supervision. Shepard’s closed in 1974 and remained vacant for almost 20 years. After advocacy from preservationists, the building was bought by the State of Rhode Island and was rehabilitated by David Presbrey, the building is now the location of the Providence Campus of the University of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Education, and other state offices and education-related facilities.

Caesar Misch Building // 1903

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One of the many great commercial blocks in Downtown Providence, the narrow Caesar Misch Building runs along Empire Street between Westminster and Chapel streets as a well-preserved early 20th century building. Designed by the architectural firm of Martin & Hall for owner, Caesar Misch (1857-1908) as one of his department stores. Caesar Misch was born in Berlin, Germany and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Providence. There, he opened a department store and saw immediate success, opening more throughout New England in the early 20th century. After his unexpected death in 1908, his wife, Marion Misch (1869-1941) took control of the business, becoming the first woman in New England to head a department store. The Downtown Providence building stands six-stories and is notable for its brick walls with contrasting elaborate stone frieze and window surrounds.

Richardson Building // 1895

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Located across from the Federal style Unitarian Church and Romanesque style Masonic Temple and rounding out the nicest intersection of Burlington Vermont, I present, the Richardson Building. The Richardson Building was constructed in 1895 by developer Albert Richmond, and can be classified as Chateauesque with its rounded bays surmounted by conical roofs and finials, showing the complexity of a French Chateau. The building was likely constructed for a commercial interest as an income property with retail at the ground floor and professional offices above. In 1911, the famous building was purchased by Frank D. Abernethy, who purchased his partner’s share of their business and created the Abernethy’s Department Store, soon the largest department store in town. Despite being a prominent, long-term fixture on Church Street, Abernethy’s went out of business in November 1982. The building was later renovated and new tenants moved in.