Jordan Marsh becomes Macy's (1996)
Jordan Marsh, the Boston department store founded in 1851, was converted to Macy's after Federated Department Stores merged with its parent. The Jordan Marsh name, familiar to generations of shoppers, disappeared from Downtown Crossing.
Shoppers saw Macy's signs go up; some resisted, but the change stuck.
The Jordan Marsh name now exists only in memories and a few historic references. Boston's retail identity shifted toward national chains.
Like Blanchard's, Jordan Marsh was a family-founded Boston institution absorbed by a larger chain. The loss of the name erases a piece of local identity.
