Chain: Pearl’s Department Stores (Chateaugay)
Date Opened: September 1, 1954
Date Closed: April 26, 1967
Street Address(es) when open (Building name/block) Main Street [Current Address]:
Former Store(s) in Location(s): A. E. Clark Store (for sixty years)
Later Store(s) in Location(s): laundromat
Buildings still exist?:
Owners, Managers, Employees:
- Manager: James Ferraro – at start
- Alice J. Brown, manager
- Dolores Hughes, clerk
- Marion G. Lennox, clerk
- Lillian Boni, clerk
Subsequent Owners if sold: Was not a clothing store
Newspaper Articles, Pictures, Ads:
Pearl’s Adds Fifth Store to Chain
Pearl’s Department Store added the fifth business to their chain of stores in Northern New York this month, with the purchase of the A. E. Clark store at Edwards, N. Y.
Mrs. Doris Pearl, owner, and Mr Norman Godfrey, manager, are at Edwards this week conducting a sale of all the merchandise of the A. E Clark store. She stated that after the sale, the store will be completely remodeled and restocked.
Mr. James Ferrero, who has been manager of the Pearl’s store at Hermon, N. Y., will take over the managership of the new store, and his wife, the former Florence Bricker, of Chateaugay, will manage the Hermon store.
The five stores that make up the chain include those located at Chateaugay, Ellenburg, Champlain, Hermon, and Edwards.
(CR 1954-07-30 p1)
JIC Note: Actual Newspaper clipping
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Pearl’s Edwards – Pearl’s adds fifth store (CR 1954-07-30 p1)
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PEARL’S DEFT. STORE TO OPEN AT EDWARDS
Pearl’s Department store will soon open in Edwards on Wednesday September 1. J. Ferero, also manager of Pearl’s in Hermon. will manage the Edwards store. The new Pearl’s is the former A. E. Clark store which the late Mr. Clark operated for almost 60 years. The premises have been completely redecorated in while and green and many new lines of merchandise have been added including men’s. women’s and children’s wear. notions. wallpaper. congoleum rugs, toys, and other department store items.(Tribune-Press 1954-08-26 p1)
Pearl’s Edwards – Store opens (Tribune-Press 1954-08-26 p1)
Pearl’s Hermon – Edwards and Hermon portrait (Tribune-Press 1957-05-09 p9)
Pearl’s Edwards – Woman’s Bowling League (Tribune-Press 1959-10-29 p4)
Pearl’s Edwards – Bowling Team (Tribune-Press 1961-02-02 p3)
Edwards Store Closes
By MANIE HURLEY
Pearl’s Department store closed its door for the final time Saturday night [April 26, 1967]. A sale of all stock had been held since Feb. l6. It is sad to see a business place Adams, were guests of Miss Leah close permanently and the store will be missed by many residents.
(Tribune-Press 1967-03-01 p2)
Actual newspaper clipping is below.
Pearl’s Edwards – Closes (Tribune-Press 1967-03-01 p2)
Pearl’s Edwards – Apt. above store (Tribune-Press 1968-06-05 p4)
Mr. and Mrs. William Walton of Fowler have opened [September 1968] a new laundromat on Main street in the former Pearl’s Department store in Edwards. Aithough the new business is already operating there will be a grand opening this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday with free drying for ail customers.
(Tribune-Press 1968-09-18 p12)
Pearl’s Edwards – Laundromat in former Pearl’s (Tribune-Press 1968-09-18 p12)
Recollections & Town Historian information:
JIC Note: The following information was received from Charlotte Dean, Town of Edwards, NY Historian via email on April 16, 2026:
I’m Charlotte Dean, the Town of Edwards, NY Historian. I’ve done some research at our museum & this is what I have found on the building that once housed Pearl’s Department Store.
The first building on the West side of Main Street, built in the place where Pearl’s Department Store was, burned to the ground in the disastrous fire on July, 4 1894. The 1868 map of the Village of Edwards shows Charles C & Martha Noble Brown have a grocery store there & his family living upstairs. Shortly after the fire the buildings were rebuilt of brick made in the local brick yard of Warren Payne. A E Clark had a Men’s Store in this building for 60 years and the first Telephone Office was upstairs. After the men’s store it became Pearl ‘s Department Store. Bob Ferraro was manager when it opened September 1st. Later Alice J. Woodrow Brown was manager & her family lived upstairs. Delores (Duckie) Hughes, Marion Lennox & Lillian Jones Boni worked there as clerks. Other people who lived upstairs were Clara Barker in the 1950’s, Donna Soper Nagle & family, Ellen Lashua & Dwight & Donna Knowlton & family. Leo Lalonde lived upstairs in the early years.
After Pearl’s William Walton had a Laundromat there in 1968. Earl Lumley also ran a laundromat there. The building was in disrepair and torn down May 17th & 18th of 1994. The four buildings on the West side of Main Street were torn down & Pearl’s building was the last to go.The TDS Telephone Office now stands on that lot.
Pearl’s Edwards- Main Street 1905
Pearls Edwards – before being torn down
Pearl’s Edwards – being torn down
Pearl’s Edwards Building 2026 where store was
Pearl’s Edwards 2026-04-27 -TDS bldg on former Pearl’s site