Arnold Constable Building

The first department store in the US, In 1857 the store moved into a four-story white marble dry goods palace located at 309-311 Canal. A few years later as the country suffered from inflation, the store became one of the first to issue charge bills of credit to its customers each month instead of on a bi-annual basis.

The firm continued to expand, and in 1862 added a five-story building at 307 Canal, as well as a fifth-story to the original building. The new additions were aesthetically integrated with the existing structure. Recognized as an emporium for high-quality fashions, the store soon outgrew its Canal Street store, and in 1869 the firm erected a marble building on Broadway and East 19th Street, designed by Griffith Thomas

On the far right is 305 Canal Street, built in 1915.