William H. Block
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The William H. Block Company was founded by William H. Block, an immigrant from Austria-Hungary, with the opening of a retail store located at 9 East Washington Street in Indianapolis in 1896. The company was also self identified as The Wm. H. Block Co., and Block's.
In 1910 a new eight-story store was constructed on the corner of Illinois and Market Streets. Mr. Block was active in the business until his death in 1928 when the management of the company was passed to his three sons: M. S. Block, R. C. Block, and E. A. Block. The store was expanded to nearly double in size in 1934. During the expansion the building's interior and exterior was redesigned in a moderne style, including furnishings, stainless steel escalators, and two-story polished black marble and stainless steel facade entrances. Architectural drawings of the entrances became the trademark logo for the store on gift boxes, print advertisements, and company stationary. A Company publication identified the store as, "one of the country's most beautiful department stores." Restaurants located within the Illinois Street store included the Fountain Luncheonette, the Terrace Tea Room, the Men’s Grille, and the James Whitcomb Riley Room. Block's was the second largest retail company in Indiana, its primary competitor L.S. Ayres & Co. being the larger.
In 1947 Block's was granted a FCC license for television station WWHB, channel 3. In 1949 the FCC records the station as WUTV, channel three, operated by the William H. Block Co.
In 1954 a small branch store was opened in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Broadripple; this location was replaced with a full service department store with the construction of the nearby Glendale Shopping Center in 1958.
The William H. Block Co. merged with Allied Stores in 1962. In 1987 Block's was sold to Federated Department Stores at which time the Block's name was discontinued and many store locations were rebranded as Lazarus department stores.
Lazarus closed the downtown Illinois Street store in 1993. In 2003 the Illinois Street store building's upper seven floors were converted into residential apartments and the ground floor remained retail; the building complex is called The Block.
[edit] Former locations
- Bloomington - College Mall (opened 1965, sold to Lazarus)
- Greenwood - Greenwood Park Mall (opened 1983, sold to Lazarus; now Macy's)
- Indianapolis - Illinois Street (opened 1910, sold to Lazarus, closed 1993)
- Indianapolis - Glendale Center Mall (now Glendale Mall) (opened 1958, sold to Lazarus. Lazarus closed in 1999 and was split among Old Navy, Stein Mart and library. Stein Mart closed 2004 and is vacant)
- Indianapolis - Lafayette Square Mall(opened 1969; later a replacement Lazarus location, now a church)
- Indianapolis - Washington Square Mall (opened 1974; later Montgomery Ward; torn down for Target)
- Kokomo - Markland Mall (opened 1968; later Lazarus, then Macy's; Macy's closed 2005 and is vacant)
- Lafayette - Tippecanoe Mall (opened 1973; later Lazarus, now Dick's Sporting Goods)
[edit] Reference
- Now...You’re Working with Block's, William H. Block Company publication, circa 1940.
