Not long ago I did a post called "Meet me at the Fountain" about Ladies Mile, a stretch of emporiums that ran down 6th avenue between 14th and 23rd street in the late nineteenth century. The Hugh O'Neill Store between 20th and 21st on 6th avenue was one of the great dry goods stores of its day on Ladies Mile. Opened in 1887, the Hugh O'Neill store had a staggering 2500 employees. Unique among other emporiums, the façade of the four-story Hugh O'Neill store was originally painted yellow and black and had two large beehive columns. The Hugh O'Neill store was accessible by the above-ground 6th avenue El train which ran all the way to Central park.
While other emporiums, like Macy's, moved north to 34th street in the early twentieth century, the Hugh O'Neill store stayed put and eventually went under in 1907. Today, the Hugh O'Neill store is an upscale condominium building.
Not long ago I did a post called "Meet me at the Fountain" about Ladies Mile, a stretch of emporiums that ran down 6th avenue between 14th and 23rd street in the late nineteenth century. The Hugh O'Neill Store between 20th and 21st on 6th avenue was one of the great dry goods stores of its day on Ladies Mile. Opened in 1887, the Hugh O'Neill store had a staggering 2500 employees. Unique among other emporiums, the façade of the four-story Hugh O'Neill store was originally painted yellow and black and had two large beehive columns. The Hugh O'Neill store was accessible by the above-ground 6th avenue El train which ran all the way to Central park.
