E. W. Edwards & Son, Syracuse




E.W. Edwards & Son (Edwards) (1889)
208 South Salina Street
Syracuse, NY 14604

GRanite 4-4411


DOWNTOWN STORE DIRECTORY

Downstairs
Sporting Goods • Luggage • Downstairs Budget Store

Street Floor
Toiletries • Accessories • Jewelry • Clocks • Better Jewelry • Fine Jewelry • Hosiery • Accessory Bar • Handbags • Gloves • Small Leather Goods • Neckwear • Cotton Bar • Street Floor Sportswear • Wiggery • Women’s Shoes • Candy • Bake Shop • Stationery • Cameras • Tobacco Shop • Records • Linens and Bedding
Store for Men Men’s Sportswear • Men’s Clothing • Men’s Furnishings • Store for Boys and Young Men • Toiletries for Men • Smoke Shop

Annex Building South Warren Street
Appliances • TV and Stereo • Toys • Summer Furntiure Shop

Mezzanine
Chinaware • Gift Shop • Silverware • Bridal Registry • Lamps • Pictures and Mirrors • Art Goods • Beauty Salon • Photograph Studio • Christmas Decoration Center

Second Floor
Tea Room • Cherry Valley Room • Shoe Salon • Millinery • House and Town Shop • Dress Circle • Globe-trotter Shop for Knits • Vanderbilt Square Dress Shop • Bridal Salon • Highlander Shop • Lady Edwards Shop • Sportswear • East Room • Coats & Suits • Fur Salon • Young Flair Shop for Juniors • Kool Korner for Juniors • Teen Shop • Children’s Wear • Children’s Shoes • Sewing Machines

Third Floor
Furniture • Trent Room • Books • Trousseau Shop

Fourth Floor
Housewares • Wallpaper and Paint • Fabric Center

Fifth Floor
Rugs • Floor Coverings

Sixth Floor
Curtains and Draperies • Bedding • Fabric Center • Yarns

BRANCH STORES

Rochester (1905/1911)
Main at St. Paul Streets
298,000 sq. ft.













Buffalo (1925)
Genesee Street

Buffalo (1949)
Langfield Plaza
2863 Bailey Road

Lackawanna (1951)
L.B. Smith Plaza
1234 Abbot Road

Greece (1960)
Ridgemont Plaza
63,000 sq. ft.

Pittsford (1961)
Pittsford Plaza
62,000 sq. ft.

Camillus Plaza (1965)
100,000 sq. ft.






Shoppingtown (1968)
DeWitt
120,000 sq. ft.
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19 comments:

  1. EW Edwards began in Syracuse, but also had expanded rapidly to Rochester and Buffalo too in the early 1900s. There was an Edwards on Genesee St. in Buffalo, as well as at the Abbott Rd Plaza as late as the 1950s in Buffalo. Rochester had a major downtown Edwards store, as well as a mid-sized one level branch at the Ridgemont Plaza in Greece, and a two level full size store at the Pittsford Plaza in Pittsford. The Downtown Rochester store closed in 1972. The Ridgemont and Pittsford stores were sold to Gorin Stores of Boston, and continued to operate as Edwards until the early 1980's. Briefly, both stores tried operating under the Almy's banner before finally closing around 1984. (Russ Grasso rrgrasso@aol.com)

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  2. WOW! You have some rare pictures and renderings that I haven't ever seen before, especially regarding the Edwards stores in Syracuse. I will look through my Edwards materials and see what would be appropriate to share about their Rochester stores. I might even have a postcard of the Genesee Street Store in Buffalo... I will be in contact... (Russ Grasso rrgrasso @aol.com)

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  3. I have a painting that looks like a beautiful scene of a church. My grandma said her Dad got it from some people for doing some work for them back in the 1920's. On the back of the painting is a tag that reads "Edwards" over that Syracuse and under it Rochester. Does anyone know about these paintings? If so, please email me ay jhunnicutt13212@aim.com

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  4. LOL, love camillus plaza pic.

    I remember catching the bus to downtown syracuse in the front under those columns, that is when the driver would actually stop and not force me to run across the parking lot to the next stop!


    Later this building was used my JC Penney.

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  5. Downtown stores gave so much pleasure to their customers. The Santa's toyshop/North Pole on the top floor of Edwards, was simply magical, as were the downtown Christmas display windows with all the intricate animation and costuming.

    Having grown up with downtown Syracuse in its finest time, (before the horrific move of the public library from the Carnegie building to the hideous downtown mall), it was a world of wonder and people and food, and when it ended, my life was forever lessened. (Perhaps I should have moved abroad).

    And let us not forget Loew's theatre. My God! what a beautiful place.

    All these years later, and having grown up in a Syracuse suburb, fully utilizing the amazing bus service, I still don't understand why Edwards or any of the downtown stores closed, as no one I knew favored the malls compared to the wonder of downtown.

    Forays to Edwards, which were frequent, represent an admittedly skewed, but nonetheless incredibly positive memory compared to so much else.

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  6. Thank you for such well-put comments. They mirror my own, and since I like to travel abroad, it is sad to see that even small European towns have an active downtown district full of shopping and entertainment venues.

    More and more, I am thinking that stores like Edward's, which prospered for so long, only met their demise as our society declined to a point where they were unsupportable.

    At least we have those memories . . . and from your words, yours are very vivid indeed!

    BAK

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  7. Like Thinking Fish, I grew up riding the bus into downtown Syracuse for shopping, movies, medical appointments, you name it. We were living green half a century before it was cool!
    As to why stores like Edwards died, I can remember kids whose moms preferred driving out to the new suburban shopping centers as they appeared. It was actually considered a fun day out. I left the area before downtown's decline, but the same process happened everywhere.

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  8. I found Wooden Nickels with the EDWARDS Dept.Lexington MA. any connection

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  9. I worked at the Camillus Plasa store and went to school next door at West Genesee Jr/Sr High School. My manager was Sam Molinari (sic), co-workers in the China, Silver and Lamps were Charlotte Brown and Linda (sorry I don't remember her last name). They all taught me alot about how china was made, the history of crystal and started me out with the best work ethic that became my base for the future. I still remember how to fill out the receipt book and use the cash register. 1966-1967

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  10. I have a Edwards Mink Coat i was wondering how old it was #B G757116

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  11. I loved Edwards in Syracuse. I clearly remember the original store which has the monorail which ran the perimeter along the ceiling of the toy department during Christmas season. Every boomer who grew up in Syracuse remembers this. I vividly remember EW Edwards new downtown store near Clinton Square but it did not last long. Built in the mid-1970's, it was closed by the early 1980's. The building remains. Edwards store in suburban DeWitt still stands in Shoppingtown Mall. It is now a JC Penny store. About ten years ago they removed the huge acrylic light sculpture which hung over the escalators and a Syracuse tradition faded into history.

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  12. I have a side table bought in Sept 1929 @ Edwards for 299. How can I find a catalog of that time period?

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  13. I purchased a fur jacket from a vintage store about 15 years ago, the style is approx. 1940's but I'm unable to tell what kind of fur it is. It’s an amazing swing style with high color in long two-toned fur and matching cuffs; the rest is a very tight fur in a dark grey brown. Its got big buttons with appear to be covered in embroidery and ¾ length sleeve. On the label its says Edwards Syracuse - Rochester. The name Fannie Marks is hand embroidered in pale blue on the lining. I love the jacket and have enjoyed wearing it over the years and look forward to handing it down to my daughter. I've always wondered about the history of it and your website has given me a few visuals to go on, I can now picture a young women buying it in the 40's and her being at the forefront of fashion at the time. If anyone knows or has any info I'd appreciate it.

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  14. I have a old Porclean Table and 6 matching chairs. We were trying to figure out how old is. My dad ( who is 87 ) remembers doing his home work at it. Under neat the table it says Edwards on it. Dad remembers his Mom buying it when he was real young. Any help on trying to figure out how old is would be welcome. I can be email at cbeachner@gmail.com.

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  15. Does anyone have any pictures of the train that used to run every christmas at the Edwards building in downtown rochester? We owned the train and I have only been able to find one picture of it. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as would any pictures of the Rochester Store. Thank you

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  16. I remember the train! and so does my cousin but no one else does! It was in the basement, and it was dark, I was just a little bitty girl. I would love to see pics of the train.

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  17. Memories come back more & more about Edwards.
    We would go twice during Christmas, just to ride the train and then go down to Dey Brother's basement to eat in their restaurant. That was our special treat at Christmas.

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  18. I believe the Syracuse Post Standard archives has photographs of the Edwards train. It was wonderful and ran the perimeter of the ceiling of the toy department.

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  19. What year did the Syracuse store close?

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