From the Morgue: Louis Hecht's new building

Louis Hecht chose the final day of 1924 to make a big announcement: He was planning to construct a new brick building on the west side of Main Street, between Broadway and Themis Street. At four stories, it would be taller than the rest of downtown Cape Girardeau's buildings.

Published Dec. 31, 1924, in the Southeast Missourian:

Start next week on new business block

Hecht will erect 4-story building on Main Street for Home Furnishing Company

One of the most important business developments of the new year for Cape Girardeau is the announcement by Louis Hecht, owner of Hecht’s Store, that construction is to start next week upon a four-story building, next to the First National Bank on Main Street (between Broadway and Themis Street), which when completed will be occupied by one of the largest home furnishing stores in Missouri outside of the largest cities.

The entire building of four stories and a full basement, five floors in all, is to be utilized by the National House Furnishing Company which is to cater not only for furniture business in Cape Girardeau but for that of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, within a radius of 100 miles.

With excavation work starting next week and construction to be rushed along as rapidly as weather will permit, the new structure, which will form the most important building improvement on Main Street in years, is expected to be ready for occupancy by May 15, 1925.

Attractive front

Fronting 41 feet on Main, with a depth of 102 feet, the building is to be constructed of brick with a facing of mat brick, trimmed with mat glazed terra-cotta. A stone base will be used.

One of the features of the structure, aside from the number of floors which will make it the tallest on Main Street, will be the special arcade front, which will extend the width of the building with a depth of 20 feet.

Large copper-trimmed show windows will extend back on each side of the entrance, while another show window will occupy the center of the arcade. Back walls of the show windows are to be richly paneled in oak and the latest lighting effects are to be used. The arcade is to be floored with marble and when finished, it will be the most beautiful store entrance in Cape Girardeau, it is claimed.

Another exterior feature … will be large triple windows overlooking (Main Street) on the second, third and fourth floors… One of the largest electric signs in the city will be placed at the front of the building.

Specifications call for hardwood flooring on every story of the building. What is thought will be the only clear maple floor in any store in Cape Girardeau will be laid on the first floor, with clear oak to be used on the remaining floors.

Solid construction

Although the basement is to be used as a sales room in addition to the other stories, a room is to be provided for the furnace which will give the building steam heat. The floors are to be connected with stairways and an electric combination passenger and freight elevator.

The building is to be the most solid construction throughout, the specifications being quite rigid. It was designed by R.K. Knox and is to represent an investment of more than $50,000, it is reported.

Announcement of the coming to Cape Girardeau of the National House Furnishing Company offers the best of evidence that the heads of important merchandising syndicate of the East and Middle West are watching and studying the growth of this city.

An executive of the syndicate owning the company stated to a Missourian reporter that an exhaustive and careful survey was made in the case of every city where the opening of a store was contemplated.

Cape Girardeau, it was said, has been under the closest scrutiny for the past year and a half, with the investigators studying not only the town as a whole but the character of the surrounding territory.

Liked the location

The detailed report of this investigation convinced the owners of the National House Furnishing Company that Cape Girardeau would be the logical center for a new store, and that an establishment conducted along the lines upon which this syndicate operates would meet with much success here.

The stores of this syndicate now in operation are all exceedingly attractive in appearance and carry a complete line of furniture and home furnishings for people in moderate circumstances who desire the advantages of good furniture at low prices. In the Cape Girardeau store, complete stocks will be maintained in furniture, pianos, phonographs, carpets, rugs, stoves, ranges and jewelry.

The success of this organization, which owns a chain of furniture stores in the larger cities of the central states, is based on their ability to contract for merchandise in enormous quantities, the central office purchasing for all stores at the same time and thus obtaining the lowest possible prices, it is stated.

Another feature that adds to economy of operation is the policy of concentration only on lines that have proved to be standard, thoroughly dependable in quality, and known as the best sellers in their respective fields; products to be represented in every department that are widely and favorably known through consistent national advertising.

On big scale

These stores while concentrating on the principle of merchandising in large volume at low prices and depending upon frequent turn-over and large volume of sales for profit, are none the less unique for the reason that the business is so organized as to allow the purchased liberal terms of payment extending over a period of time that is said to be considerably longer than most furniture stores can afford to allow. The volume of business transacted permits the customer to take advantage of these credit terms without either interest or extras of any nature being added to the account.

The modern trend of the times is more and more toward highly specialized and highly standardized merchandising, and it is said the owners of the National House Furnishing Company were among the first in their field to apply this idea to the furniture business.

Judging by the success of this plan of retaining high quality merchandise at low prices and on easy terms that can be financed only when backed by extensive capital, the National House Furnishing Company is assured a hearty welcome in Cape Girardeau, for it will fulfill a need of long standing and perform a service of lasting value to the people of this community.

But construction of the building was soon threatened by litigation.

F.M. Williams, owner of the property to the north of the new Hecht building, claimed the new structure was encroaching on his land by 5 1/2 inches.

Published Feb. 17, 1925, in the Southeast Missourian:

Hasn’t room enough to build big structure

Hecht, with materials ordered, can’t find amount of ground he bought

A dispute over a 5 1/2-inch strip of ground on Main Street may temporarily delay construction of the new four-story Hecht building and land the disputing parities in court to settle the controversy.

Threatened legal action was the culmination of a hearing before the (Cape Girardeau City Council) Monday afternoon when the litigants, Louis Hecht and F.M. Williams, presented the respective sides of the controversy, which involves land worth about $90.

Why the argument was taken before the council, no one knew exactly, except that someone intimated that an attempt might be made to settle the dispute by slicing off a little of an alley, which is city property. This, however, was denied.

Due to error

The controversy apparently is due to an error in deeds to property on Main Street. Hecht’s deed provides that his property starts at the northeast corner of the “Cape alley” and extends north 40 feet. Williams’ deed however, it is claimed, says that his property starts at the north side of what now belongs to Hecht, and extends north 26 feet. But, Williams’ attorney claims that measuring from the corner of Broadway and Main, an established corner, and giving other property holders the amount called for in their deeds gives him less than 26 feet, if Hecht is allowed his 40, in other words he gets only 25 feet and 6 1/2 inches. Williams also claims that the proper way to measure is from the established corner of Broadway and Main.

He further points out that in no place in the records is any instrument to show that the alley which adjoins the First National Bank on the north has been deeded to the city. This is admitted by Hecht, but he claims the alley has become city property by long usage.

In other words, Williams claims there is no alley, according to the records, although mention is made of it in the Hecht deed.

Can’t change plans

Hecht told the council that he would be willing to concede Williams the 5 1/2 inches, except that the specifications for his buildings have been arranged for a 40-foot building, his material has been ordered for it, and he cannot change the plans except at a great loss. He said that he had offered to pay Williams $29 for the 5 1/2-inch strip, but the latter refused to sell.

The First National Bank was also represented at the hearing, the bank protesting against any encroachment on the alley. Hecht has already started excavation for the building under the 40-foot plan. The property owned by Williams is occupied by the Osterloh book store.

Apparently Hecht and Williams worked out their 5 1/2-inch differences, as there was no lawsuit over the deed discrepancies, and work continued on the new building.

But that wasn’t the end of Hecht’s troubles.

On Feb. 20, 1925, two men were injured while working on the structure’s foundation.

Two men are buried under falling wall

Laborers injured, one severely, in Main Street excavation

Two men were injured, one severely, when a 12-foot wall of stone collapsed while workmen were engaged in excavating for the new Hecht building on Main Street at 9:15 a.m. today. Both were buried beneath falling stone and earth but were quickly rescued by other workmen and passersby who hurried to their assistance.

The injured:

E.D. Bess, 59, laborer, 20 N. Lorimier St., broken collar bone, two fractured ribs, bruised left leg and foot and possible internal injuries.

Will Giboney, laborer, 601 North St., fractured rib and internal injuries.

Bess’ condition is considered the most serious, according to physicians, and it was stated that an X-ray examination will be made late today to determine the extent of his hurts. He is said to be suffering intensely from the internal injuries.

Both men were working in the pit at the foot of the wall immediately under the Williams building, occupied by the Osterloh book store. Bess said that he saw the wall crack and start to crumble, but before he could run, the falling rock and earth trapped him, covering all his body, with the exception of his head. A large stone, weighing more than 100 pounds, crashed down on his body, and it was several minutes before he could be extricated.

Giboney, who was working near Bess, saw the wall crumble and tried to escape, but was also caught by the falling debris.

Immediately after the collapse of the wall, workmen started removing debris and extra precautions will be taken to prevent a recurrence of the collapse.

Bess, who is married and has a family, came here a year ago from Kennett.

The following day, the newspaper reported the conditions of both men had improved slightly and that they were expected to recover.

Despite the “extra precautions” taken after this incident, another laborer was hurt March 21. E.H. Headrick, who resided on Bloomfield Road, suffered a bruised foot when part of the “south wall of the excavation for the new Hecht building on Main Street collapsed… Headrick was working near the wall and saw it crumble, but in turning to run, stumbled over a wheelbarrow and was caught by the falling earth.”

There were no other accidents reported in the Missourian about the building’s construction, and it was completed in August 1925. That same month saw the arrival of E.F. Hundley, the new manager of the National House Furnishing Company store.

A grand opening was held Sept. 11-12 (coincidentally, the same days of the opening of the Southeast Missourian’s new office building at Broadway and Lorimier Street). Starting off National’s festivities was a free dance on the top floor of the building attended by 2,000 persons; food and drink were provided, and souvenirs and door prizes were given away.

Published Monday, Sept. 14, 1925, in the Southeast Missourian:

Throngs visit big new store

Thousands inspect the fine home of National Company here

The opening of the National House Furnishing Company store on Main Street Friday and Saturday was remarkable in several respects. It looked on Thursday like it would take another week to get the store in order, as at 5 o’clock that evening more than a (railroad) carload of furniture remained on the main floor to be opened and placed. The three upper floors were in fairly good shape, but the main floor and the basement were merely storage places for carloads of goods. But by midnight the place looked differently and by noon Friday every floor was in order.

Then the crowds started, with Chief of Police (W.W.) Billings and two men trying to keep the people in line. All afternoon and all day Saturday and until 11 o’clock Saturday night people stood in line to get in.

Today it was announced that over 10,000 persons had passed through the store and most of the people got a souvenir bowl. Also today the people were still crowding the store, going from one floor to another to see the new place.

Uses five floors

The National House Furnishing store is one of several owned by the Fihn company of St. Louis. It occupies the new Hecht building of four stories and basement. It is filled from top to bottom with all kinds of furniture, from the highest priced to the lowest. A dining room suite is in a show window marked $1,500 and on a floor of the building are more than 50 other dining room suites marked from less than $100 and up. This gives an idea of the magnitude of the store.

The main floor of the store is certainly a place of beauty and it was remarked by many visitors Saturday that St. Louis cannot boast such a beautiful furniture store.

Maurice Fihn, who is here from St. Louis to assist Manager Hundley in the opening, told The Missourian today that the opening was far beyond their expectations and that they are more than pleased with prospects for a successful business here.

Biederman's Furniture Store operated out of Hecht's store from 1950 to 1966, when it moved to a new location on William Street.G.D. Fronabarger ~ Southeast Missourian archive

National House Furnishing Company remained in Cape Girardeau only five years. It sold the business to Mr. and Mrs. J. Wolf in November 1930, and they began operating it under the name Wolf’s House Furnishing Company. The couple had long been in the furniture business in St. Louis. Their desire to “gradually build up the business” was fulfilled a year later when they expanded their operation to include Wolf’s Exchange Store, handling trade-in furniture in the former Osterloh Book Store located next door.

Wolf’s continued in business in Cape Girardeau until the mid-1930s. The four-story building saw several occupants after that, including Gamble’s; Biederman’s Furniture Store, which sold its wares there from 1950 until moving to a new building on William Street in 1966 (now Ruler Foods); Libson’s and Jerri-Lee.

C.P. McGinty Jewelers currently occupies the building, Charles P. and Laura McGinty Jr., having purchased it in 1988 from Martin Hecht, son of the structure’s builder, Louis Hecht.

Sharon Sanders is the librarian at the Southeast Missourian.