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The Kaufmann’s Building is one of the city’s most iconic sites, even after it became a Macy’s Department Store.

Originally known as the R.H. Macy & Company, Macy’s is a chain of department stores with more than 700 locations across the United States.

Retail pioneer Rowland Hussey Macy (1822-1877) established the company in 1858 in New York City. Ownership remained in the Macy family until 1895 when it was purchased by retail entrepreneur Isidor Straus (1845-1912) and his brother, Nathan Straus (1848-1931). During this period, the store settled into its now famous flagship location at New York’s Herald Square. Isidor and his wife Ida (1849-1912) perished when the ocean liner Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912. After several ownership changes, the multi-chain Federated Department Stores merged with Macy’s following a difficult and public courtship in 1994. Eventually, nearly all Federated stores (as well as those acquired in succeeding years) were renamed Macy’s.

The Downtown Macy’s began as Kaufmann’s (1871-2006) which, along with the Joseph Horne Company (1849-1994), was one of Pittsburgh’s iconic department stores. It remained a family-run business until 1946 when it was acquired by the May Company (1877-2005) which was merged with Macy’s in 2005.

Kaufmann’s flagship was famous regionally as “The Big Store” and is a merged building, combining an 1887 structure that was combined with a sister structure designed in 1913 featuring in a Neoclassical revival style structure with Renaissance Revival style details and a large ornamental public clock at the corner — which has become a special meeting spot for generations of Pittsburghers.

After being renamed Macy’s, store continued many of its traditions, most notably a holiday parade that began in 1981 as the Celebrate The Season Parade which is now called the My Macy’s Holiday Parade. Many of the original Kaufmann’s nameplates remain on the façade.

Macy’s closed the store in the summer of 2015.

STANDARD HOURS:
None.

PARKING:
Parking is available at the adjacent One Oxford Centre.

PORT AUTHORITY ROUTES:
40–43–51

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Address
400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 United States