Edward Ridley & Sons Department Store Buildings

History and architecture

In the second half of 19th century, Edward Ridley & Sons was the largest department store on the Lower East Side. Founded by Edward Ridley in c. 1848, over the next three decades the business grew by converting buildings along Grand and Allen Streets – none of which survive. The adjoining properties at 315-317 Grand Street (aka 66-68 Allen Street) and 319-321 Grand Street (aka 65 Orchard Street) were commissioned by his sons, Edward A. Ridley and Arthur J. Ridley, in 1886.

Designed by architect Paul F. Schoen, these Classical Revival-style structures were part of the store’s most ambitious expansion to date. Five stories tall, this building campaign added considerable floor space and Ridley’s was subsequently described in newspaper stories and advertisements as the largest retailer in New York City. By 1889, the store employed about 2,500 people – many who were women, neighborhood residents, and recent immigrants. On Orchard Street, Schoen used mostly brick and stone, while the more prominent Grand Street facade is cast iron, a material frequently associated with major mercantile buildings and retail stores.

A late example of this type of construction, the iron bays incorporate such distinctive details as columns, keystones, pilasters and decorative relief panels. Of particular note is 319-321 Grand Street’s rounded corner, where Grand and Orchard Streets meet. This prominent feature served as a major entrance and was intended to increase the store’s visibility from trolley cars traveling west from the Grand Street-Williamsburg ferry.

Despite the store’s expansion, sales failed to meet expectations. During the 1890s many retailers were abandoning the area and in 1901 Ridley & Sons closed. Allen Street was widened in the early 1930s and the building that was currently located at the southeast corner of Grand Street was demolished, making 315-17 Grand Street into a corner building. At this time, a new west wall was erected with tan brickwork, designed in the prevailing Art Deco style by architect John N. Linn.

Originally part of a vast retail emporium, these adjoining cast-iron buildings recall the era when Edward Ridley & Sons were among the Lower East Side’s best-known and most successful merchants.