Kern's
A historic Detroit department store founded in 1883 as The Ernst Kern Dry Good Company.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Kern's, formally known as The Ernst Kern Dry Good Company, was a Detroit department store established in 1883 by Ernst Kern, a German-born merchant. The business became part of the retail landscape of downtown Detroit and expanded as its customer base and merchandise operation grew. Its identity was closely associated with its location on Woodward Avenue and with the clock at the main entrance, which became a well-known meeting point for Detroit residents. The original store was destroyed by fire in 1886. Kern rebuilt at Randolph and Monroe, allowing the business to continue operating while establishing a more substantial downtown presence. In 1900, the company purchased a five-story building at Woodward and Gratiot to accommodate further growth. Ernst Kern died in 1901, after which his sons, Ernst C. Kern and Otto Kern, assumed control of the store. Following World War I, the company again required additional space and acquired the adjoining nine-story Weber Building. The older structures were ultimately replaced in 1929 by a purpose-built department-store building at 1048 Woodward Avenue. The new structure stood approximately 162 feet high and contained ten floors, reflecting the scale and architectural ambition of major American urban department stores during the period. By the mid-twentieth century, Kern's was described as Detroit's third-largest department store. In 1957, the Kern family sold the company to Sattler's Inc. of Buffalo, New York. The transaction was followed by corporate difficulties and repeated management changes. Kern's continued for only a short period under the new ownership and closed permanently on December 23, 1959. The store building was demolished during Detroit's downtown urban-renewal projects in the 1960s. The site later became associated with the Campus Martius redevelopment and was occupied by the Compuware corporate headquarters. Although the retail business disappeared, Kern's remained part of Detroit's local memory through its entrance clock. The phrase "I'll meet you under the clock at Kern's" became a familiar expression for arranging a meeting downtown. After the original building was demolished, the clock was placed in storage, reinstalled near its former location in the late 1970s, removed and refurbished during construction related to the Compuware complex, and installed again in 2008 at the corner of Woodward and Gratiot Avenues. Kern's is therefore remembered both as a major former Detroit department store and as a landmark in the city's commercial and social history.
History
Kern's began in Detroit in 1883, when Ernst Kern founded The Ernst Kern Dry Good Company. The store operated as a downtown dry-goods and department-store business, serving customers from Detroit's growing commercial core. Kern was born in Germany, but the available historical account does not provide further biographical detail about him. The company's first major setback came in 1886, when its original store was destroyed by fire. Rather than abandon the operation, Kern rebuilt at the intersection of Randolph and Monroe. The rebuilt business continued to expand, and in 1900 the company purchased a five-story building at Woodward and Gratiot. This move placed Kern's more prominently within Detroit's principal retail district and provided additional capacity for its growing merchandise operation. Ernst Kern died in 1901. His sons, Ernst C. Kern and Otto Kern, then assumed control of the store. Their stewardship continued the family connection while the business developed into a substantial urban department store. After World War I, Kern's needed more space and acquired the neighboring nine-story Weber Building. The resulting expansion illustrates the pressure placed on successful downtown retailers to enlarge their selling floors and supporting facilities during the period. In 1929, the earlier buildings were demolished and replaced by a new Kern's store at 1048 Woodward Avenue. The ten-story building was approximately 162 feet high and became a prominent component of the Woodward Avenue retail corridor. By 1957, Kern's was regarded as Detroit's third-largest department store. That year, the Kern family sold the company to Sattler's Inc., a Buffalo-based retailer. The change in ownership was followed by corporate difficulties and management turnover, and the business did not achieve a durable continuation under its new ownership. Kern's closed on December 23, 1959. Its building was demolished in the 1960s as part of downtown Detroit's urban-renewal activity. The property remained an undeveloped park for many years before the Campus Martius Park project began in 1999. The former Kern's site was subsequently occupied by the Compuware corporate headquarters. The store's most enduring physical symbol was the clock above or near its main entrance. Detroit residents used the location as a meeting place, giving rise to the expression "I'll meet you under the clock at Kern's." Following demolition, the clock was stored and later returned near its original location in the late 1970s. It was subsequently removed and refurbished in connection with construction of the Compuware building and installed again in 2008 at Woodward and Gratiot. The clock's survival preserved a visible link to Kern's even after the retail company and its department-store building had disappeared.
- 2008
Kern's clock is installed at Woodward and Gratiot
[1]After removal and refurbishment, the clock is installed again at the corner of Woodward and Gratiot Avenues.
- 1999
Campus Martius redevelopment begins
[1]The Campus Martius Park project begins on the broader former downtown retail-site area.
- 1970
Kern's clock returns near its former location
[1]The historic entrance clock is reinstalled near its original location in the late 1970s.
- 1960
Former store building is demolished
[1]The department-store building is demolished during Detroit's downtown urban renewal; the precise demolition year is not specified in the reference account.
- 1959
Store closes
[1]Kern's closes permanently on December 23 after a period of corporate problems and management changes.
- 1957
Kern family sells the company
[1]Sattler's Inc. of Buffalo, New York, acquires Kern's, then described as Detroit's third-largest department store.
- 1929
Ten-story Woodward Avenue store opens
[1]The earlier structures are replaced by a new store at 1048 Woodward Avenue, approximately 162 feet high and containing ten floors.
- 1901
Family succession after Ernst Kern's death
[1]Ernst Kern's sons, Ernst C. Kern and Otto Kern, take control of the store.
- 1900
Five-story Woodward and Gratiot building acquired
[1]The company purchases a five-story building to support its expanding retail operation.
- 1886
Original store destroyed by fire
[1]The first Kern's store is consumed by fire and subsequently rebuilt at Randolph and Monroe.
Products and positioning
A large, centrally located Detroit department store serving the urban middle-class market with broad dry-goods and general merchandise offerings.
Department-store merchandise · 1883
Dry goods
Dry goods formed the original commercial foundation of The Ernst Kern Dry Good Company. As the business developed into a full department store, the term represented the broad assortment of non-food merchandise typically associated with an urban retail establishment. Specific proprietary product lines are not identified in the available reference material.
Retail assortment
General department-store merchandise
Kern's operated as a general department store rather than as a specialist brand. Its large downtown locations and successive expansions were intended to support a broad merchandise operation, including clothing, fashion-related goods, and household merchandise. The available sources do not provide a complete historical catalog.
Brand decisions
1957
Sale to Sattler's Inc.M&ABackground
By 1957, Kern's had become one of Detroit's largest department stores, but the Kern family decided to sell the business.
Action taken
Sattler's Inc. of Buffalo, New York, acquired the company.
Aftermath
The subsequent period was marked by corporate problems and management changes, and Kern's closed permanently in 1959.
1929
Replacement of earlier store buildingsGeneration changeBackground
Continued expansion after World War I created a need for a larger and more modern downtown retail facility.
Action taken
Kern's demolished the earlier structures and erected a ten-story store at 1048 Woodward Avenue.
Aftermath
The new building became a prominent Kern's landmark and supported the company's position as a leading Detroit department store.
Sources2 sources
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