Filene's Department Store

Filene's Department Store is an eight-story Beaux-Arts building in Boston's Downtown Crossing with limestone and terra cotta facades. Large display windows line Washington Street, and the interior now contains retail spaces and offices on the upper levels.

Architect Daniel Burnham designed this building, which was completed in 1912 as the flagship store for William Filene's retail company. The store remained a major retail center in Boston until 2006, when it underwent significant renovation.

The store was known for treating its workers well, offering health clinics and credit unions to employees in the early 1900s when few other businesses did this. These benefits showed how the owner valued the people who worked there.

The renovated building now houses various retail spaces, including Primark's first U.S. store on the lower floors. The upper levels contain office space for advertising agencies and other businesses.

The basement contained an automated markdown system that changed how stores across America handled pricing and inventory. This method showed how the business solved the problem of selling leftover merchandise through clever strategies.

Location: Boston

Inception: 1911

Architects: Daniel Burnham

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts

GPS coordinates: 42.35549,-71.06023

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:00