Wanamaker Building through the years

One hundred years ago Friday in Philadelphia, William Howard Taft stood on a stage above the bronze eagle statue inside the Wanamaker Building and dedicated the city's first modern department store. Much can be said of the monolith at 13th and Market Streets and its longevity, but the true marvel of this anniversary is that the very building that houses the only remaining department store in downtown Philadelphia (now a Macy's) has itself to thank for its salvation. The nearly 1.9 million-square-foot edifice of granite walls framed with steel was constructed with such spare-no-expense vision it has inspired awe among generations of Philadelphians who flowed through it.