Philadelphia Pulls Out All The Stops To Mark The End Of A Retail Era

PHILADELPHIA, PA ? A celebration of music on the largest fully-functioning pipe organ in the world marked the end of an era on Saturday at 1300 Market Street.

Hundreds from the city, the suburbs and from miles away gathered in the Grand Court for ?Make A Joyful Noise,? a day-long musical farewell to the landmark Macy?s Department store, which will close on Sunday bringing an end to the era of the big department store in Philadelphia.

Since 1876, a major department store has stood at this site across from city hall serving the retail needs of the city, first as John Wanamaker?s, then as Hecht?s, Strawbridge?s, Lord & Taylor and finally as Macy?s in a building that houses an iconic bronze statue of an Eagle and a magnificent pipe organ, both built for the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis and later acquired by John Wanamaker for his iconic store.

While Macy?s has watched over and been the caretaker of the iconic landmarks for the past two decades, the building will long be remembered as John Wanamaker?s, which opened in 1861 and moved to 1300 Market Street in 1876, where it did business for more than a century until 1995.

The symbol of the store was a bronze Eagle, which became a meeting place for shoppers and gave rise to the phrase, ?Meet Me At The Eagle.?

The bronze Eagle in the Grand Court. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The Wanamaker building. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

A stairway inside the Wanamaker building. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

A last look inside the department store. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The Wanamaker Organ. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Remembering John Wanamaker, a department store icon in Philadelphia. ( Jeff Werner/Patch)

The store?s five-story Grand Court is also home to the largest pipe organ in the world, the Wanamaker Organ, comprised of more than 28,000 pipes, which won?t be accessible to the public again until plans to redevelop the property with new entertainment and fitness outlets, shopping, office, and loft apartments.

In a January news release, New York developer TG Cornerstone, which is expected to acquire the property, said it is ?committed to the preservation of the organ and ensuring it remains a cherished part of the space.?

According to reports, the iconic Eagle will also remain and will be part of plans for the redevelopment of the property.

Both the Eagle and the organ are designated National Landmarks and both came from the 1904 World?s Fair in St. Louis.

Saturday?s performances featured world-class organists, including longtime Grand Court Organist Peter Richard Conte and the Wanamaker Assistants.

To read the fascinating history of the organ and the Eagle, click here.

Click here to listen to Saturday's organ concert finale by Grand Court Organist Peter Richard Conte.

The pipes of the Wanamaker organ. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

A statue of John Wanamaker in front of Philadelphia City Hall. (Jeff Werner/Patch)