Boston's William Filene & Sons (Filene's) traced its beginning back to 1881. The flagship store seen above was dedicated in 1912 and expanded in the late 1920s.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carol M. Highsmith

John Wanamaker's first store -the Grand Depot- opened in conjunction with the nation's Centennial celebration, in Philadelphia, in 1876. It was housed in an abandoned railroad station that had been rehabilitated into a retail store.
Photo from the Pennsylvania State Archives

The opulent Grand Court of Wanamaker's Center City Philadelphia flagship was completed in 1911. The massive structure was reputed to be one of the most beautiful department stores in the world.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carol M. Highsmith

Philly's Lit Brothers came into being in 1891. Promoted as "A Great Store In A Great City," Lits was a moderate-price alternative to competitors John Wanamaker and Strawbridge & Clothier. The Lits chain was shuttered in 1977.

Photo from Library of Congress / Carol M. Highsmith

The Hecht's chain originated in Baltimore, in 1857. Samuel Hecht, Junior opened a used furniture store that gradually expanded into a full-line mercantile. This grand, Beaux Arts ["bowz-arts"] structure was completed in 1926.

Photo from the BG&E Collection / Baltimore Museum of Industry