Richman Brothers
Richman Brothers stands on what was once one of the most prosperous blocks in all of Cleveland. Now, over 100 years after it was erected, it towers down onto the desolate streets below. The Richman Brothers Company was founded by Henry Richman, a Jewish-Bavarian immigrant, and his brother-in-law Joseph Lehman. It was originally founded sun Portsmouth in 1853, but moved up to Cleveland after the civil war ended. The company succeeded in Cleveland but it was not a major part of the bustling industrial city until 1904 when it was transferred to Henry’s three sons, Charles, Nathan and Henry Jr. The company specialized in the making of fine mens clothing, mostly suits. The highest price suit they offered translated to about $200 in 2020.
Once the three sons took over, the company underwent drastic changes. They took a bet that by investing in their employees, their employees would work hard and the company would grow. They put in place a 36 hour work week, stock options, and were the first recorded company to offer maternity leave to its employees. The employees also worked on an honor system, not regulated by time clocks. This bet paid off remarkably well and by 1917, the building seen here was built. It was given the remarkably specific award of “Best Built Factory in Cleveland”. A year after it was built, the owners offered much of the factory space to the government to use as a hospital for returning WWI soldiers, free of cost. As the company grew, they did not change how they treated their employees. One former employee recalled that her favorite thing was how each Friday they would take off early to play a game of baseball in the courtyard. Another recalled how each of the executives knew the employees so well they knew each of their names and birthdays. When the last brother, Nathan, passed away in 1941, over 2000 of the employees attended his funeral. As owners, they were loved by their employees.
New ownership meant new changes though. Starting in the 1950’s the company grew and started to acquire more and more businesses. They bought out Stein in 1959 and General Mens Corp in 1962, two of their largest competitors. In 1969 they were themselves acquired by F.W. Woolworth Company out of New York. Times remained good and the employees were still treated better than most in America. By the 1980’s, the economic decline brought changes to every industry. As stores that sold their clothing closed, business became less profitable until in 1990, for the first time in history, they did not turn any profit. In 1992 the company was liquidated and the building on east 55th, still structurally sound, was forgotten. A few attempts have been made to reuse the property but nothing has succeeded to date. A decaying trailer remains outside the front of the building as a solemn reminder of this.
