Category:Farr Brothers & Company

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Located at 739 Hamilton Street, the northeast corner of Eighth and Hamilton, Farr Shoes was an Allentown business for well over a century (1862-1992). The founder of the shoe business was Jacob L. Farr Sr., who was born in 1838. At age 14, he left home to learn the shoe trade in Philadelphia. He opened his Allentown business at Eighth and Hamilton streets in June 1862. Jacob Farr died in April 1889. By then, the business was being run by his sons, Harvey H. and Jacob L.

In 1888, they brought in a partner, Nathan Hass. The business was called Farr, Hass & Co. until 1900, when it was dissolved. Another partner, Edgar Wenner, joined them that year, and the company was renamed Farr Brothers' & Co. In 1898, Harvey Farr had expanded the business by organizing the Lehigh Valley Shoe Co., which manufactured shoes at Chestnut and Howard streets in Allentown. Farr's sold the shoes and distributed them to other stores.

A new building was constructed in 1906-1907 and still occupies the site. It was designed by Allentown architects Ruhe & Lange. The building was remodeled in 1932 and again in 1965. They opened stores in Bethlehem in 1919, Easton in 1910, Reading in 1913 and Harrisburg in 1953. In 1928, Harvey L. Farr, the son of Jacob L., joined the business. He took it over in 1940 when his uncle died.

As with many downtown businesses, the 1970s and '80s were not kind to Farr's. In 1985 the store would close as a full-service store and reopen as a self-service store. By then, the business was owned by Coward Shoe Inc. of New York. In 1988 Farr's Allentown property had been taken over by speculator George Swiltyk. Harvey Farr took the store back when Swiltyk's speculations collapsed. On Aug. 8, 1992 D.E. Jones Co., "a poor man's Kmart" had purchased the Allentown property for the sale of discounted merchandise.

Object location40° 36′ 07″ N, 75° 28′ 25″ W Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMapinfo

Media in category "Farr Brothers & Company"

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