Mendel and Freedman
770-774 Chapel Street (former)
Postcard of Mendel and Freedman, c. 1910. Courtesy of Joe Taylor.
Adolph Mendel and Isidor Freedman, who was born in Bruckhausen, Germany in 1854, formed a business partnership, establishing what would become one of the biggest department stores in Connecticut. The number of employees grew from two clerks to 250 employees. The interior of the store was destroyed by a major fire and closed in 1921. Mr. Mendel formed a partnership with Mr. Harris and rebuilt the store as Mendel and Harris. When competition forced them to close, they were replaced by Stanley Dry Goods, which occupied the building for many years.
Text source courtesy Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven Archives.
Trolley and Motorcars in front of Mendel and Freedman Department Store, c. 1918. Courtesy New Haven Museum.
On the Downtown Tour
1 | New Haven Green
2 | Amistad Memorial
3 | Knights of Columbus First Office
4 | Young Men’s Hebrew Association
5 | First St. Patrick’s Day Parade
6 | Shartenberg’s Department Store
10 | Poli’s Bijou Theater
11 | First St. Mary’s R.C. Church
12 | Edw. Malley Co. and Gamble-Desmond’s
13 | Temple Street Congregational Church/B’nai Jacob Synagogue
14 | First Knights of Columbus Headquarters
15 | Shubert Theater
16 | Townsend Block
17 | WNHC TV
19 | St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church
20 | St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church/Ukrainian National Home