Downtown Pittsburgh's Carl Herrmann Furs to close after a nearly 125-year run

By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Over its long history, Carl Herrmann Furs has survived the Great Depression, two world wars, the COVID-19 pandemic and even a 6,000-pound slab of concrete plummeting through its roof.

But when health issues arose earlier this year, owner Carl “Guy” Herrmann IV decided that it was time for a change. After nearly 125 years in business, the Smithfield Street furrier will close for good in January.

“I love what I do. I love being around people,” Mr. Herrmann said Monday as he sat in his shop surrounded by a colorful array of hats, coats, scarfs, and accessories.

After getting its start on the North Side in 1900, the fur shop has been passed down from one generation to the next. Mr. Herrmann has been at it full time for 42 years — even longer if you count the time he worked the store during breaks in high school and college.

Now 64, he had hoped to keep the store going at least until he was 70. But when he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation at the end of the summer he decided to reassess his plan. Both his dad and his grandfather suffered from heart issues.

“It’s mixed emotions,” he said of the upcoming closing. “It’s fun. But at some point in time, you just have to realize that there’s another world out there.”

There were other smaller factors that went into the decision as well, Mr. Herrmann noted.

One of them was the pandemic, which drove Downtown workers from their offices and into their homes. The central business district workforce still hasn’t returned in numbers close to pre-pandemic levels.

“Remote working has lessened the number of ladies who walk around town because people are here two days a week, three days a week. Some are working completely remote,” he said.

While he expects the city to eventually recover, he believes it will take several years. “Until that whole trend turns around, it makes it harder and harder,” he said.

He saw the lack of foot traffic as a bigger issue for his store than some of the well–publicized concerns about crime, homelessness, cleanliness, drug dealing, and lewd behavior in Downtown and on Smithfield Street in recent years

In fact, one of Mr. Herrmann’s neighbors, Wiener World, relocated to U.S. Steel Tower earlier this year. Another nearby business, Fragasso Financial Advisors, moved to Sewickley because of such concerns.

While some of those issues may have affected his customer base, “it was just fewer people consistently working Downtown” that had the bigger impact, he said.

When his store at 634 Smithfield closes, it will represent the end of an era. With five to six employees, it is the last of the furriers in the Golden Triangle.

At one time there were at least three, including one next door to Herrmann’s. That doesn’t even count department stores like Kaufmann’s and Saks. Mr. Herrmann remembers a time when there were 20 to 25 smaller specialty fur operators as well.

Although the business has been through some cataclysmic events over the course of its history, it has always been profitable — except for six or seven years when it struggled after the 1987 stock market crash.

Few people were buying furs during that time, Mr. Herrmann said. But the business managed to survive through its service branch, which includes a refrigerated area on an upper floor where it stores 6,500 coats a year for customers. It also does alterations and repairs in the store. An eye issue was making it harder for Mr. Herrmann to do some of that work.

“We’re a small operation. Because I learned from the ground up, because my father learned from the ground up, we’re hands on. I’m not paying someone to do the pattern work. I’m doing the pattern work myself,” he said.

Since Mr. Herrmann announced to customers in a letter that he would be closing the store, many have reached out to express sadness and to wish him well. The biggest question from customers has been where they will store their coats.

Mr. Herrmann said he is working to find them an alternative or perhaps even someone who could take over the storage end of his fur business. He said he has had an inquiry about a possible sale of that branch, although he stressed that there is “a lot of discussion that needs to be done.”

As for selling the entire store, Mr. Herrmann is open to it if a willing buyer steps forward, but he is not anticipating that.

“Personally, right now, I made my decision and I’m happy with it, and that is closing out the operation. As I made that decision in mid-September, I knew I was wanting to research so my customers would not be left in the lurch.”

Mr. Herrmann’s great grandfather started the fur store on Federal Street in 1900. It moved to Downtown to the Carlton House Hotel on Grant Street in 1962 before migrating to its current spot in 1980.

Besides furs, the store sells shearlings, leather, cashmere and accessories. During his time in the business, Mr. Herrmann has seen styles change. At one time 75% of the coats were full length. Now 65% to 70% are mid thigh to just above the knee, he said.

Besides various struggles over the years, the business also has been a target of animal-rights activists who objected to the sale of natural fur. And last year, City Council toyed with banning the sale and manufacturing of fur before shelving the idea.

But perhaps the biggest challenge the fur store has faced recently — even more so than COVID — fell from the sky.

Just before Christmas in 2022, a 6,000-pound slab of concrete broke off the 26-story Centre City Tower next door and crashed through the store’s roof before wedging itself between the fifth and fourth floors.

It took months to remove the slab and to repair the building.

“That definitely took a few years off of my life, I have to be honest about that,” Mr. Herrmann said. “That was one of the longest 7½ to 8 months of my life.”

He is now looking to spend the last couple of months overseeing a final liquidation and trying to make arrangements for his customers to store their coats elsewhere.

In a letter to his clients, he said arrangements to clear out storage must be made by Jan. 18.

“On behalf of the Carl Herrmann team, thank you for your ongoing trust and support over the past 124+ years. It has been our privilege to serve you. We look forward to connecting with you one last time during our final liquidation before we close our doors forever,” Mr. Herrmann wrote.

The reaction from customers has been “overwhelming,” with some writing personal notes to express their sadness. After closing the store, Mr. Herrmann plans to concentrate on hobbies and volunteering, including coaching soccer.

“It’s been a great, fun, enjoyable run. I know the three Carls up in the sky are looking down on me, smiling down. I know they are saying I did a good job,” he said. “I met more than my fair share of fantastic people through the business and within my customer base. At this point in time, I wouldn’t change what I’ve done and what I did for any other job.”