If you grew up in the Lehigh Valley before 1996, Hesss was more than a store. It was a destination, a tradition, and for many families, the very embodiment of what made downtown Allentown special. Its closure marked not just the end of a business, but the passing of an era in American retail.
The Brothers Who Built an Empire
Hess Brothers was founded on February 19, 1897, by brothers Charles and Max Hess, who leased a modest space at the corner of 9th and Hamilton Streets in Center City Allentown. From the beginning, Charles Hess had a vision that set the store apart from its competitors. He filled the stores famous "French Room" with fashions imported directly from Paris, bringing a touch of European elegance to the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country.
The strategy worked brilliantly. While other local merchants sold practical goods to practical people, Hesss offered something different: aspiration. Shopping at Hesss became an experience, not just a transaction. Women dressed up to visit the French Room. Families made special trips from across the region. The store at 9th and Hamilton became the anchor of Allentowns commercial district.
Growth and Expansion
For decades, Hesss remained a single-store operation, but what a store it was. The flagship location grew over the years to occupy an enormous footprint at the heart of Hamilton Street, offering everything from haute couture to household goods across multiple floors of retail space.
The expansion beyond Allentown began in the 1970s. Additional locations opened in Lancaster and Easton in 1971, Bethlehem in 1973, and two suburban Allentown shopping centers in 1974. The brand that had been synonymous with a single corner of downtown Allentown was now reaching across the region.
In October 1979, Crown American purchased the Hesss chain, which by then included 17 large stores. Under corporate ownership, the chain continued to grow, eventually reaching nearly 80 stores at its commercial peak in the late 1980s. But something had changed. The intimate, family-owned character that had made Hesss special was harder to maintain at scale.
The End of an Era
The unraveling came swiftly. In 1994, the companys remaining 30 stores were sold off: May Department Stores took 10 locations and Bon-Ton purchased 20 others, ending the 97-year Hesss enterprise. The name disappeared from storefronts across the region.
The final blow came on January 15, 1996, when Bon-Ton announced the closure of the flagship store at 9th and Hamilton. The building that had been the beating heart of downtown Allentown for nearly a century fell silent. In January 2000, the former Hess Brothers Department Store building was demolished after years of vacancy, reducing a landmark to rubble and memory.
More Than a Store
For those who remember, Hesss represents something larger than retail. It represents a time when downtowns were the social centers of American life, when a trip to the department store was an event, and when a single family could build something that defined a citys identity for a century. The corner of 9th and Hamilton looks very different today, but in the memories of a generation, the lights of Hesss still shine.
