Peculiar Pittsburgh
14 photos of Pittsburgh’s iconic Kaufmann’s building from 1886 to 2018
Hop into our time machine.

Over the years, Pittsburghers have called it the Grand Depot, The Big Store, Kaufmann’s, Macy’s and now Kaufmann’s Grand on Fifth.
But no matter the name, the behemoth building along Smithfield Street has been a special place for more than a century — to “meet under the Kafumann’s clock,” to eat thumbprint cookies at the store’s Arcade Bakery, to admire its ornate holiday window displays, and, of course, to shop its 13 floors.
With brick-and-mortar retail floundering, the Downtown department store closed in 2015. The building is now undergoing renovation to be turned into luxury apartments, a restaurant, and a hotel, and though the work has been delayed, as the Post-Gazette reports, it’s still expected to open this summer or fall.
The change is making us nostalgic, so we compiled snapshots of Kafumann’s through the years, dating back to the very beginning, with help from Heinz History Center. Let’s hop into the time machine.
1880s: An artist’s rendition of the “Grand Depot.” The building opened in 1886, occupying an entire city block along Smithfield and between Fifth and Diamond. The store was then known and advertised as both the “Grand Depot” and J. Kaufmann and Brothers — note the flags atop the store.

1905-1910: Carriages, pedestrians, a street car, and even an early automobile crowd the street in front of Kaufmann’s.

July 19, 1913: A bustling street scene in front of Kaufmann’s exactly two years after Pittsburgh got the ‘h’ back in its name.

1925-1930: An early holiday window display.

1940s: A crowd in front of Kaufmann’s. Across the street, Hotel Henry and the Rathskeller.

1940s: An exterior shot of the mammoth building.

1944: This cutaway drawing features images of Kaufmann’s shoppers picking out suits and perusing the jewelry counter.

1950s: The Kafumann’s clock has remained a beacon atop Smithfield street for decades.

1960-1965: As the sign says, “Santa’s workshop job is done; he’s made toys for everyone!”

1980s-1990s: A trip to Kaufmann’s in December was like a trip to the North Pole.

1980s-1990s: Kaufmann’s windows dressed up for the holidays.

1980s-1990s: The holiday windows took on a Cinderella theme one year.

2013: At some point, the clock’s arms changed from the minimalist 1950s look to an ornate design.

2015: As the store prepared to close, mannequins served as sentries watching over bargain shoppers.
