The Crescent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Crescent

Type	Department store
Founded	1889 Spokane, Washington
Headquarters	Spokane, Washington
Industry	Retail
Products	Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares.

The Crescent was a historic Spokane, Washington, department store. It was acquired by Marshall Field & Company in 1962, which itself would be purchased by BATUS Retail Group in 1982. After BATUS sold The Crescent and Frederick & Nelson in 1986, it was renamed Frederick & Nelson in 1988, briefly, before closing in 1992. Its former store in downtown Spokane the south east corner of Main and Wall is now known as Crescent Court and houses retail stores and offices.

1 History
2 Former locations
- 2.1 Oregon
- 2.2 Washington
3 Sources

[edit] History

The former University City store, still vacant

The Crescent, originally the Spokane Dry Goods Company, was Spokane's leading department store for decades. The original Crescent, located on West Riverside Avenue, opened for business on August 5, 1889, the day after the Great Fire that destroyed most of downtown Spokane. As the town’s only remaining dry goods store, its entire stock sold out on the first day of business. Owners Robert B. Paterson and James M. Comstock supported the post-fire effort and did not raise prices in order to take advantage of the disaster, which began the tradition, “be fair to everyone.” Construction of the Crescent building, designed by noted Spokane architect Loren L. Rand, began in 1917 and continued to 1919. Originally five stories in height, the building was later expanded to seven. In 1949 the Crescent purchased the Alexander Building, adjacent to the south, so that it extended half a city block. The final expansion was made in 1973 to include the NW corner of the block. Also in 1973 the company logo was changed to the Marshall Field's script.

The first suburban Crescent store was built in 1959 at Northtown Mall, Spokane's first regional shopping center. Marshall Field, the Chicago store that had owned Seattle's Frederick & Nelson since 1929, purchased The Crescent in 1962. A second suburban Crescent was built in the Spokane Valley at University City shopping center in 1969.

[edit] Former locations

Downtown Spokane store

[edit] Oregon

Corvallis – Downtown (sold to Lamonts in 1988, closed 1995)
Eugene – Valley River Center (sold to Lamonts in 1988, became Emporium 1996, Copeland Sports 2003, now vacant)
Portland – Jantzen Beach Mall (Opened 1985, sold to Lamonts in 1988, closed 1996)
Portland – Lloyd Center (Opened 1985, sold to Lamonts in 1988, closed 1996, now Ross and Barnes & Noble)

[edit] Washington

Spokane – Downtown (opened in 1919, expanded 1956, 1973, converted to Frederick & Nelson in 1988, closed in 1992)
Spokane – NorthTown Mall (opened in 1959, converted to Frederick & Nelson in 1988, closed in 1992, became The Bon Marche in 1993, Macy's in 2005)
Spokane – University City Shopping Center (opened in 1969, converted to Frederick & Nelson in 1988, closed and reopened as Lamonts in 1991, vacant since 1996)