Remembering Neiman Marcus: A family legacy rooted in East Dallas

She sits alone in the heart of downtown Dallas in what was once a bustling and vibrant area. A place that no longer feels quite as busy as in years past. With its iconic red awnings and grand Renaissance Revival facade, the building has rightfully earned its spot as a beloved landmark of the city.

After 112 years, Neiman Marcus’s downtown flagship store has officially closed its doors for good, marking the end of an era.

From the famous Mid-century Fortnight exhibitions and the legendary Christmas Book to the strawberry butter and warm popovers served in the Zodiac Room, these traditions will soon become memories of the past enjoyed by generations of Dallas shoppers.

Saks Global acquired the Neiman Marcus Group on Dec. 23, 2024, merging the two companies. The real estate dispute began in 2025, when the flagship store’s 99-year-old ground lease expired. According to the Dallas Consortium, the Slaughter family, which owns the land beneath the store, agreed to donate the property to the City of Dallas in an effort to preserve the historic location and delay its closure. However, amid Saks Global’s financial difficulties, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January, ultimately leading to the closure of the downtown store.

The City of Dallas does not have a definitive plan set for the historic building. According to the Dallas Landmark Commission, a public hearing was approved in August to consider the historic designation process of the building and open doors for future redevelopment.

As we say goodbye to the beloved Dallas institution, let’s look back on the Marcus’s rich history in our Lakewood and East Dallas neighborhood.

1. Descendant of Neiman Marcus founders authors book about Carrie Marcus’ role

• Jerrie Marcus Smith, the great-niece of Carrie Marcus Neiman, wrote a book about her great-aunt’s role in the making of Neiman Marcus. (More)

2. Take a historical tour of Swiss Avenue from Carrie Marcus Neiman, Bishop Joseph Lynch and Collett Munger

• Carrie, who lived at 5803 Swiss Avenue, co-founded the Dallas-based retailer with her husband, Al Neiman, and brother Herbert Marcus. (More)

3. Dallas County Office of Historic Preservation

• In 1935, Stanley Marcus commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design his Lakewood property, but later fired him over escalating costs and impractical design features such as mosquito-netted outdoor terraces and a lack of closet space for Marcus’s extensive wardrobe according to the Dallas County Office of Historic Preservation. (More)

4. Neiman Marcus Fortnights

• During the extravagant Neiman Marcus Fortnights era, Stanley Marcus’s Lakewood home at 10 Nonesuch Road became a private salon and dinner party hot spot, where he hosted cultural icons, politicians and royalty including Grace Kelly, Eleanor Roosevelt, Coco Chanel, James Dean and Lord Mountbatten according to the Stanley Marcus House Landmark Nomination Form. (More)

5. The ‘Dallas’ house of Westlake Avenue was built for Herbert Marcus

• The house at 6735 Westlake Ave. mostly is famous for its role as Pamela Barnes’s house on “Dallas,” the TV show. The home’s former owners used to host screenings of the show, and the house is recognized to this day by people from all over the world. It was built in 1927 for Herbert Marcus Sr., co-founder of Neiman Marcus department store and father of Stanley Marcus. The elder Marcus’s widow, Minnie Lichtenstein Marcus, lived in the house until her death in 1979. Throughout those years, and in the 1930s especially, the Marcuses welcomed many fashion and business dignitaries into their home. (More)

6. Lakewood’s Stanley Marcus featured in documentary for international film festival

• Former Lakewood resident Stanley Marcus, the fashion magnate and half of Neiman Marcus, was featured in a documentary short. The movie is called “Mr. Stanley: The Merchant Prince” and was nominated for Best Documentary at the La Jolla International Film Festival. Dallas-based filmmakers Mike Mullins and Miles Hargrove of M3 Films capture the life of the retail pioneer who helped transform Dallas into the metropolis it is today. (More)

7. Dallas’ Art Deco collection among world’s ‘most impressive,’ mag says

• Dallas architect Greg Dahl, not only created the Centennial buildings and several other commercial structures — the Dallas Morning News building, Neiman Marcus, the Titche-Goettinger Building and more — but he also is behind some of Lakewood’s grandest abodes. (More)

Texas Centennial Exposition Federal Building. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress

8. The most political house on Swiss Avenue turns 100

• Built in 1919 for Theodore Marcus — brother of Herbert Marcus, of Neiman Marcus — 5731 Swiss Ave’s next owners were the Van Winkle family. Ehrhardt and her late husband, Jack, became the third owners when they purchased the home in 1970. It was located in the only integrated neighborhood in Dallas at the time. (More)