H. Freedlander Co., the oldest independently owned downtown department store in the country located in Wooster, Ohio, announced this week that they be closing their doors at the start of 2009. Stanley Gault, the store's owner, said that the store was ceasing business after the holiday shopping season because there is not enough consumer demand to keep it in operation.

Freedlanders was founded in 1884 by David Freedlander, who established a general merchandise store known as Buffalo One Price Clothing Store. When David died in 1898, his son Herman took over managing the store for the next 76 years, and Herman's son Harold took over after his in 1974. In 1990 the store was bought by a group of local investors who ran the store until Gault purchased it in 1999.

Gault said that in more recent years, more than half of the store's business came from out-of-towners. Harold Freedlander too must have seen the decline, because it is also said that he had planned to close and liquidate the store, which is why the group of investors had bought it in 1990. Gault purchased it hoping to keep such an iconic, historic place alive, and to save the jobs of its employees.

But the demand just wasn't there, and on Tuesday Gault made the difficult decision of informing the store's 10 employees of the planned closing. Each of them will be provided with a severance package in appreciation for their many years of dedicated service.

Plans are now being made to redevelop the land. Mike Rose, CEO of Washington Properties, a downtown Wooster developer, will be working with the city and Main Street Wooster to raze the building and rebuild on the site. In its place a new 30,000 sq. foot mixed use development will be constructed. It will be known as "Merchants Block", and will feature both retail stores and condos.

Until the store closes, however, it will be business as usual. But after the holiday shopping season has passed, Freedlanders will be no more.