Loevenhart’s Men’s Store records, 1867-2012
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Loevenhart’s Men’s Store (Louisville, Ky.)
Title: Loevenhart’s Men’s Store records, 1867-2012
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.
Size of Collection: 0.33 cu. ft. and 1 vol.
Location Number: Mss. BB L826
Historical Note
Henry (1841-1923) and Lee Loevenhart (1844-1926) immigrated from Wolfenhausen, Nassau, Germany to the United States of America with their widowed mother, Regena Wallerstein/Wallstein Loevenhart, in 1851. Their mother died soon after their arrival in Cincinnati, Ohio and the brothers were taken in by their uncle in Tennessee. They worked as peddlers and watch repairmen in the South during the American Civil War until opening their first store in 1867, Loevenhart’s Men’s Store in Lexington, KY. Lee Loevenhart moved to Louisville, KY in 1898 with his wife and four children to open the second Loevenhart’s Men’s Store on the corner of 3rd and Market Streets. After Lee Loevenhart’s death, his sons Percy (1875-1936), Edgar (1878-1961), and Jesse (1882-1946) took charge of the store.
After the deaths of her brothers, Pauline Loevenhart Grossman (1891-1963) became President of Loevenhart’s Men’s Store from 1962-1963. Her son, Lee Loevenhart Grossman (ca. 1929- ), took over the Presidency after her death. Lee L. Grossman closed the downtown location of the store in 1971 and relocated to the new Oxmoor Mall on Shelbyville Road. Loevenhart’s inventory expanded to include a women’s department with Lee’s wife, Carolyn Berman Grossman (1932-2017), acting as the women’s wear buyer. Their teenaged sons, Kenneth and Philip, worked in the store as part-time sales associates and stockroom associates. Kenneth joined the store full-time in 1982 and became President in 1991.
In the 1990s, the store shifted focus to an international inventory. In a project led by Kenneth Grossman, the store was rebranded as “Loevenhart’s International Fashions for Men” and became the first store in Kentucky to sell authentic Italian clothing from Lubiam and Canali. With the rise of discount clothing stores in Louisville, Loevenhart’s business declined and closed in 1996. After the store closed, Kenneth continued to work in the fashion industry by selling custom-made suits directly to his clients.
Sources:
Kenneth R. Grossman, Loevenhart’s Men’s Store 3rd and Market 1898-1971, pp. 1
Ancestry.com
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of records and materials, 1867-2012, primarily related to the business of Loevenhart’s Men’s Store, a Jewish owned clothing store that opened on the corner of 3rd and Market Streets in downtown Louisville, before relocating to Oxmoor Mall in 1971. Business records, promotional materials, and newspaper articles document the finances and marketing strategies of the retail store as the Louisville clothing market evolved during the 20th century.
Folder 1 contains promotional materials for Loevenhart’s Men’s Store. Included in the materials are a copy of the poster advertising the Louisville store’s grand opening in 1898, fabric samples, and newspaper ads. Also included are advertisements related to the store’s relocation to Oxmoor Mall, such as the moving sale, the Oxmoor Mall grand opening, and the store’s rebranding to “International Fashions for Men.”
Folders 2-3 contain newspaper clippings and miscellaneous materials pertaining to the Loevenhart family and store. Folder 2 includes multiple written histories about the brothers Henry and Lee Loevenhart, death notices members of the Loevenhart family, and articles about different family members. Folder 3 contains articles about the store opening, being remodeled, and relocating to Oxmoor mall.
Folders 4-5 contain records of Loevenhart’s Men’s Store’s finances and stocks. Folder 4 includes the cost of conducting business for May 1898, the record of monthly sales 1898-1899, and sales of stock in 1967. Folder 5 includes certificates of stock shares owned by members of the Loevenhart/Grossman family.
Folder 6 includes miscellaneous correspondence such as an invitation to the Retail Merchants’ Association picnic, a Proclamation by the President (Lee Grossman) concerning his birthday and the promotions of Ken Grossman and Karen White, and a thank you note from the wife of a customer.
Volume 7 contains minutes of stockholder meetings and board of directors meetings. Also included are the company bylaws and certificates from the Kentucky Secretary of State to conduct business in Louisville.
Related collections:
Loevenhart’s Men’s Store photograph collection 021PC10
Folder List
Box 1
Folder 1: Loevenhart’s Store Ads, 1867- ca. 1990s
Folder 2: Loevenhart Family History and Death Notices, 1882-2012
Folder 3: Loevenhart’s Store Articles and Business Plan, 1898-1997
Folder 4: Store Records, 1898-1967
Folder 5: Stock Shares Certificates, 1903-1967
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1924-1992
Volume 7 (wrapped): Minutes, 1903-1967
