Midtown Village in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

John Wanamaker (1838-1922)

Photographed by Don Morfe, March 23, 2015

1. John Wanamaker (1838-1922) Marker

Inscription. Philadelphia merchant, famed for the department stores bearing his name. In 1861 he opened his first store. He built his "new kind of store" here in 1876 and implemented new concepts including the one-price system & money-back guarantee. Active in public life, he built schools, churches, and missions in this and other nations. As U.S. Postmaster General, 1889-93, he fostered rural free delivery and introduced the commemorative stamp.

Erected 1998 by Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.

Location. 39° 57.125′ N, 75° 9.707′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Midtown Village. It is on West Market Street (County Road 2004), on the right when traveling east. The store is now a Macy's Department Store. The marker is just ahead of S. 13th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 E Penn Square, Philadelphia PA 19107, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 13th & Market (here, next to this marker); Mother’s Day

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(within shouting distance of this marker); St. John's Historic Graveyard & Tableau (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Veterans Buried at St. John the Evangelist's Parish Cemetery (about 300 feet away); The Honorable Charles I. Brown (about 300 feet away); A History of Wanamaker (about 300 feet away); The Welsh Society (about 300 feet away); Philadelphia City Hall Gates (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.

Also see . . . . (Submitted on March 27, 2015, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 5, 2022

2. John Wanamaker (1838-1922) Marker

John Wanamaker (1838-1922) Marker in front of Macy's Department Store image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Don Morfe, March 23, 2015

3. John Wanamaker (1838-1922) Marker in front of Macy's Department Store

This shows the marker's context prior to the modernization of the bus shelter.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,763 times since then and 76 times this year. Last updated on February 10, 2022, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on March 26, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 2. submitted on February 9, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on March 26, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.