"Much has been written about the large department stores that were within what was called the "Dry Goods District," as mapped out in the 1904 Sanborn insurance map of Brooklyn. Abraham & Straus, Frederick Loeser's, A.D. Matthews, and Chapman & Co. Namm's and Oppenheimer Collins came a bit later, as did Martin's, which took over the Chapman space in the Offerman building."
"Most people aren't aware of them now, but there were two specialty stores that had large customer bases and were masters of advertising, which means we have a record of their businesses and the wares they sold. Even a casual examination of sales ads of this period as posted in the Brooklyn dailies and other ephemera illustrate their success and popularity."
By the end of the 19th century Downtown Brooklyn's core between Adams Street and Flatbush Avenue contained an extraordinary concentration of shops, theaters, restaurants, banks, and social amenities such as the YMCA. The area housed large department stores in a mapped 'Dry Goods District,' including Abraham & Straus, Frederick Loeser's, A.D. Matthews, Chapman & Co., Namm's, Oppenheimer Collins, and Martin's in the Offerman building. Numerous smaller specialty shops served specific markets: furriers, milliners, furniture, footwear, sports, jewelry, print, and stationery. Two specialty stores achieved wide customer bases and marketing prominence through extensive advertising. The Brooklyn Furniture Company occupied Fulton Street storefronts and expanded to Nos. 559 through 571 Fulton.
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