House of Jacobs

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House of Jacobs (formerly Brown & Jacobs Furniture and Carpets and Ben M. Jacobs & Bros.) was a home and office furnishings and interiors store located in downtown Birmingham. It was owned by Ben M., Robert and Betram Jacobs.

In 1884 the business was located on 21st Street North, between 1st and 2nd Avenue North. Later, it became one of the first non-grocery businesses to locate on 3rd Avenue North, occupying the building at 1911-13 until it moved to 2012-14 3rd Avenue North in 1915.

In 1904 the business advertised wholesale and retail carpets and furniture and noted that they served as agents for Wernicke System book cases and Globe filing cabinets and office devices.

The Jacobs brothers established the first "electric arcade" for evening shopping on that street, which inspired other businesses to spread the "white way" scheme across the downtown district. They were also early adopters of a "Housekeeper's Club" credit-buying plan.

References

  • "The House of Jacobs" (February 1916) The Birmingham Magazine - accessed via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections.