Five Points West Pizitz, Birmingham

Here is a spectacular image of the Pizitz store at Five Points West Mall in Birmingham, Alabama, sometime in the 1970s. This is one of my favorite types of architecture for mall anchors.

Founded by Louis Pizitz in 1899, this store became the leading Birmingham merchant during much of the 20th century. It was a traditional department store, selling everything from toys to clothes to sporting goods to candy. It ran 12 stores at its peak, many in Birmingham, but stores operated in towns such as Huntsville, Montgomery, Florence, and Tuscaloosa, as well. The merchant was sold to the McRae's chain of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1986, and the legendary Birmingham store's nameplate was dropped in favor of the firm from Jackson. In turn, McRae's went through several deals over the years, and finally came under the control of Saks, Inc. The McRae's stores were sold in 2005 to Belk, Inc., from North Carolina. The Pizitz family today still owns the real estate of many of their former stores.