Henshey's

Henshey's was a major department store in Downtown Santa Monica, California founded by Harry Henshey and partners, the first department store on Los Angeles' Westside. It opened in 1925 as the Bay Department Store, at four stories and 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2), far larger than any store in the city. It later expanded to 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2). It had the first escalators on the Westside, but retained one elevator with a human operator until its closure. It was owned by Charles Tegner.[1]

Bay Dept. Store, later Henshey's

In 1966 it opened a branch in the Ladera Heights Shopping Center which closed in 1990.[1]

In 1992 the store closed, blaming poor sales from the Early 1990s recession, from not having changed its merchandise to attract younger clientele, and on competition from the larger J. W. Robinson's and Broadway stores in the nearby Santa Monica Place mall.[1]

The building, 402 Santa Monica Blvd., was torn down in 1994 after suffering earthquake damage. An REI store occupies the site.

Building

The original Henshey’s store, designed by Henry C. Hollwedel (who also designed the Santa Monica Bay Woman's Club, City Hall (demolished), Mayfair Theater, and the Churrigueresque 1443-1447 Fourth Street. The Bay/Henshey's building was a steel frame and brick structure in the Beaux Arts Classical Revival style featuring "bays of paired windows embellished with terra cotta details, as well as an imposing cornice and a terra cotta frieze".[2]

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged it beyond repair, the building was demolished that same year.[2]

References
  1. Kelleher, Kathleen (12 July 1992). "Henshey's, the Westside's First Department Store, Falls Victim to the Economy After 67 Years. : All Sales Final". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  2. "Henshey's", Santa Monica Conservancy
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