View source for E. J. Kennedy's



[[File:Kennedy's%20ad.jpg|right|]][[File:Kennedy's%20ad.jpg|right|thumb||1927 ''[[Canaras|Canaras]]''| ]]

E. J. Kennedy's was a department store located in the [[Harding%20Block|Harding Block]].

[[Edward%20J.%20Kennedy|Edward J. Kennedy]] worked for [[Leonard%27s|Leonard's]], and then went into a partnership with [[George%20A.%20Toupin|George A. Toupin]] at [[8%20Broadway|8 Broadway]], and was looking for a place to start a business of his own. His friend [[Phelps%20Smith|Phelps Smith]] got the Hardings and Kennedy together and ownership of the [[Harding%20Block|Harding Block]] passed from [[Emma%20T.%20Harding|Emma T. Harding]] to [[E.%20J.%20Kennedy|E. J. Kennedy]] in March, 1918.

Kennedy hired the firm of [[Scopes%20and%20Feustmann|Scopes and Feustmann]] to design a new storefront for the building, knocked out the interior ground floor divisions, and opened what was for ladies the equivalent of [[T.F.%20Finnigan%27s|T.F. Finnigan's]] or [[C.%20J.%20Carey|C. J. Carey]]'s.

The E. J. Kennedy's store remained in the Kennedy family until December, 1973. It stood vacant for a short period; but, in March, 1974, was sold to Kastern Inc. which transferred it to the ownership of its president, [[Hans%20Katzenstein|Hans Katzenstein]], in August of that year. It was then the site of [[Town%20%26%20Country%20Store|Katzenstein's Town and Country Shop]] and of the [[Parnell%20Shoe%20Salon|Parnell Shoe Salon]], carrying on a tradition of quality in women's clothing that was begun 65 years before. Other tenants of the building have included [[James%20H.%20LaPan|James H. LaPan]]'s law offices on the second floor; and, in the large, third floor apartment where the Kennedys lived for many years, Mrs. [[Hugh%20Kinghorn|Hugh Kinghorn]] resided. (For more on Dr. Hugh Kinghorn, see discussion of the [[Church%20Street%20Historic%20District|Church Street Historic District]].)

''Adapted from an article on the [[Harding%20Block|Harding Block]] by Philip L. Gallos.''