Louis Saks Clothiers
Louis Saks Clothiers (commonly Saks') was a department store owned by Louis Saks which operated in downtown Birmingham beginning in 1895.
The original location of Saks' store was a three-story brick building on the northeast corner of 1st Avenue North and 19th Street. In 1899, shortly after an Anti-Spitting Law was placed in effect, Saks set out large spittoons on the sidewalk outside his store, painted with the slogan "We provide for the Public. Louis Saks, the clothier."
That building was heavily damaged by a fire that broke out shortly after midnight on June 22, 1910. At the time the loss was estimated at over $200,000. The adjoining Spielberger Brothers store was also damaged. After a "fire sale" the building was rebuilt and continued to serve the store until it relocated to larger quarters in 1916. That building is now the home of Childcare Resources.
The second location of Saks was built on the former site of the Florence Hotel, a block away, on the northwest corner of 19th Street and 2nd Avenue North. The 5-story building was developed by the Florence Investment Company and designed by Miller, Martin & Lewis. John Miller accompanied Saks on a scouting trip to Chicago to survey the latest retail architecture. The result was a well-proportioned frame building with ganged window bays above and large display windows at ground level. The terra-cotta cladding featured leaves and vines with lion's heads along the roof line.
This store became Melancon's and, in 1936, a J. J. Newberry's variety store. The building was demolished for construction of the McWane Science Center's IMAX Dome theater.
References
- Hollis, Tim (2005) Birmingham's Theater and Retail District. Images of America series. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738517771
- White, Marjorie Longenecker (1977) Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.
External links
- Louis Saks Clothing Company on Emporis.com