280 Broadway, NY

280 Broadway is located on the northeast corner of Chambers Street in New York City. The building is known by many names including “The Marble Palace”, “The A.T. Stewart Company Store”, and “The Sun Building”. It is home to the first department store in the United States.

Alexander Turney Stewart opened the Marble Palace in 1846 between Chambers and Reade streets

on East Broadway. Stewart sold European retail merchandise, and provided free entrance to the public.

The building was often likened to a Renaissance palazzo because of its white marble exteriors, but

the cast-iron construction allowed for massive plate glass windows.

Stewart converted an entire city block at 9th Street and Broadway opposite Grace Church into a department store 1862. The establishment had 8 floors and 19 departments of furnishing materials

and dress goods, glass and china, carpets, and toys and sports equipment. Stewart’s store was

built around a glass-covered court.

After a few decade, the retail center moved uptown from Marble Palaxe. Rowland Hussey Macy opened

a dry goods store know known as Macy’s. Stewart’s competitors in the department store industry included Lord&Taylor, Benjamin Altman, McCreary’s, and Abraham and Straus. In 1965, the building

was designated a National Historic Landmark. 280 Broadway later became the New York Sun

newspaper office, and at present, it is being used for the city’s municipal offices.

New York Pictures 2009