Hirsch-Israel Company

Isaac Willard Hirsch (1844-1925) and the Israel brothers— Samuel (1863-1945) and Isadore (1864-1925)—opened Hirsch, Israel, & Co. at 273 King Street in 1884. There, they sold boys’ and men’s clothing and officially stocked uniforms for the Charleston police. Around 1892, two additional Israel brothers—Lewis (1867-1903) and Arthur (1868-1931—joined the company.

After renting a store on the northwest corner of Wentworth and King streets for over a decade, Isaac Hirsch, Samuel Israel, and Arthur Israel, purchased two nearby lots, demolished the existing buildings, and hired renowned architect Paul J. Pelz to design a Baroque Revival structure that was regarded by The Charleston Evening Post as “A Palatial Clothing House” when it opened in January 1897.¹ Also described as one of “the handsomest business houses in the South,” Hirsch-Israel Company’s storefront touted the second largest set of French plate glass in the country, and it’s interior featured a grand staircase, an electrically powered elevator, nine chandeliers, and a skylight.² With an expanded line of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, Hirsch-Israel Company became a destination for Charlestonians and tourists alike.

In the years following the grand reopening, Isaac served as the president of the company, while Samuel acted as the vice-president, and Arthur worked as the secretary and treasurer. Around 1906, Isaac Hirsch sold his interest to Arthur, and in 1907, Samuel retired from the company. Arthur continued to lead Hirsch-Israel Company until selling the building to Dime Savings Bank in 1919. His brother Melvin (1870-1931) and his brother-in-law Montague Triest (1871-1927)—the proprietors of Triest & Israel Auctioneers—sold the department store’s remaining merchandise.

¹ “A Palatial Clothing House,” Charleston Evening Post, January 20, 1897, 2.
² Ibid.