Kern's
Encyclopedia
Kern's, or the The Ernst Kern Dry Good Company, was a department store
established in Detroit
in 1883 by Ernst Kern, who was born in Germany. In 1886, the original store was consumed by fire and was rebuilt at Randolph and Monroe. In 1900, the company purchased a five story building at Woodward and Gratiot to accommodate increasing business.
When Ernst Kern died in 1901, his sons Ernst C. and Otto assumed control of the store. After World War I, additional space was once again needed for expansion, and the department store acquired the adjoining nine-story Weber Building. In 1929, the old structures were demolished and a new store was erected at 1048 Woodward Avenue that was 49.3 m (161.7 ft) high and contained ten floors. In 1957, the family decided to sell Ernst Kern Co., by then Detroit's third-largest department store, to Sattler's
Inc. of Buffalo, New York. Following numerous corporate problems and changes in management, the store closed its doors for the final time on December 23, 1959.
The store was demolished in 1966, along with Detroit's old City Hall
, and the Paradise Building across the street, as part of Detroit's downtown urban renewal
. The site remained an undeveloped park until 1999, when the Campus Martius Park
project began. The former site of Kern's is now occupied by the Compuware
corporate headquarters. A parking garage for Compuware is on the site formerly occupied by the neighboring Crowley's
Department Store.
When the Kern's building was demolished, the clock which graced the main entrance was placed into storage. It was reinstalled near its original location in the late 1970s. It was removed and refurbished to allow for construction of the Compuware Building and installed again in 2008 at the corner of Woodward and Gratiot Avenues.
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
established in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1883 by Ernst Kern, who was born in Germany. In 1886, the original store was consumed by fire and was rebuilt at Randolph and Monroe. In 1900, the company purchased a five story building at Woodward and Gratiot to accommodate increasing business.
When Ernst Kern died in 1901, his sons Ernst C. and Otto assumed control of the store. After World War I, additional space was once again needed for expansion, and the department store acquired the adjoining nine-story Weber Building. In 1929, the old structures were demolished and a new store was erected at 1048 Woodward Avenue that was 49.3 m (161.7 ft) high and contained ten floors. In 1957, the family decided to sell Ernst Kern Co., by then Detroit's third-largest department store, to Sattler's
Sattler's
Sattler's was a regional department store chain headquartered at 998 Broadway, Buffalo, New York, two miles from the downtown core. They pioneered "bargain basement" retailing in the Buffalo area. Sattler's was founded in 1889 by 17-year-old John G. Sattler when he opened a one-room shoe store in...
Inc. of Buffalo, New York. Following numerous corporate problems and changes in management, the store closed its doors for the final time on December 23, 1959.
The store was demolished in 1966, along with Detroit's old City Hall
Detroit City Hall
The former Detroit City Hall once stood at the site of the One Kennedy Square building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The former city hall building was constructed in 1861, and finished in 1871. It was demolished in 1961. It stood at 5 stories in height, 4 above-ground, and one basement floor. It...
, and the Paradise Building across the street, as part of Detroit's downtown urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
. The site remained an undeveloped park until 1999, when the Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius
The Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome...
project began. The former site of Kern's is now occupied by the Compuware
Compuware
Compuware Corporation is a software company with products aimed at the information technology departments of large businesses. The company's services also include testing, development, professional services automation, project and portfolio management, cloud-based collaboration and performance...
corporate headquarters. A parking garage for Compuware is on the site formerly occupied by the neighboring Crowley's
Crowley's
Crowley Milner and Company, generally referred to as Crowley's, was a department store chain founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1909. After several years of financial difficulties, the company ceased operation in 1999 and its assets were sold....
Department Store.
When the Kern's building was demolished, the clock which graced the main entrance was placed into storage. It was reinstalled near its original location in the late 1970s. It was removed and refurbished to allow for construction of the Compuware Building and installed again in 2008 at the corner of Woodward and Gratiot Avenues.
External links
- http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/d/dhhcc/retailers/kern.html
- http://www.shorpy.com/node/7136?size=_original