From Sears to Ponce City Market, 1926-present

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The Sears, Roebuck and Co. Building, a Ponce de Leon Avenue landmark for almost 90 years, is now the Ponce City Market. Take a look back at the building through the years, from its opening in 1926 to now.

This sign on Ponce De Leon Avenue in 1985 indicates changes are coming soon. The building was built in 1915 as the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant. In 1942, it was sold to the U.S. War Department for the Army Air Force's Air Service Command. The building is now a commercial and residential space known as Ford Factory Square. The Sears building behind it would become City Hall East and, currently, Ponce City Market. Photo: Beverly Crawford

Grand opening of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. on August 2, 1926. Photo courtesy Atlanta History Center.

The Baptist World Alliance convention meets inside Ponce de Leon Park in 1937 with the Sears warehouse in the background. Photos by Lane Brothers Commerical Photography. LBCE24-046a, Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers Photographic Collection, 1920-1976. Photographic Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

A view of signs outside Ponce de Leon Park, where the Atlanta Crackers baseball team played, in March 1953. On the left is the Sears building. Photo: Tracy O'Neal. N04-04_01, Tracy O'Neal Photographic Collection, 1923-1975, Photographic Collection. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

A view of BeltLine tracks facing south from the Virginia Avenue Bridge, Atlanta, on November 26, 1995. The old Sears building, aka City Hall East, can be seen on the horizon. Photo: Jenni Girtman

Workers Installing signs at the new City Hall East (formerly the Sears building), July 9, 1993. AJC file

Watching an Atlanta Crackers baseball game at Ponce de Leon Park stadium in July 21, 1950. The Sears warehouse looms in the background. Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers. LBCB114-072a, Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers Photographic Collection, 1920-1976. Photographic Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

A billboard for Bailey's Supreme Coffee sits across the street from the Sears warehouse (the corner is just visible on the right) in March 1953. Photo by Tracy O'Neal. N04-004_b, Tracy O'Neal Photographic Collection, 1923-1975, Photographic Collection. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

The massive Sears building on Ponce was once so busy fulfilling catalog orders, railroad cars used to pull right up to the back dock. It's being renovated to become Ponce City Market, which will be accessible from the Eastside Trail.

The back of the old Sears building speaks to its former proximity to the railroad tracks.

A view of Ponce City Market from the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta Beltline. The small circular Mile Marker 10.25 sign is visible in front of the low wall overlooking North Avenue. photo by Jill Vejnoska jvejnoska@ajc.com

Some of the signature mushroom-style columns are visible in this interior photo of the Sears building from 1940. (Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library)

A view of Ponce de Leon Avenue with the Sears warehouse on the left, taken in November 1953. Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers. LBGPNS9-169a, Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers Photographic Collection, 1920-1976. Photographic Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

Ponce de Leon Avenue, showing Ponce de Leon Park (and a sign that announces it as the home of the Atlanta Crackers baseball team) and, on the right, the Sears Roebuck and Company warehouse. From December 1953. Photo: Tracy O'Neal. N04-52_01, Tracy O'Neal Photographic Collection, 1923-1975, Photographic Collection. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

The sign goes up for Ponce City Market, the former Sears building on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta that is being renovated into new office, retail and restaurant space.

From the original publication of the photo: "Aerial photos show Sears' Ponce de Leon complex before (L) and after major expansion project to add 10-story addition to East Wing, parking deck and auto service center (foreground) was launched in 1966." AJC file

From the story that accompanied the original publication of this photo: "Midtown Landmark: Sears, Roebuck & Co. says it will study possible uses for its facility on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The company is closing the regional distribution center there by 1989. March 4 1987"

An AJC file photo of the Sears building from the Glen Iris/Ponce de Leon intersection. Taken in March 1948.

Sears, Roebuck and Company on Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia, ca. 1926. The black marks are for photo cropping.

Newspaper caption: Although Sears, Roebuck and Co. says it will close its Atlanta distribution center, state and city leaders keep trying to lure the retailer's 8,000-employees merchandise group to the city. January 24, 1979." Photo: Ray West/AJC

A view of the back of the Sears, Roebuck warehouse in September 1950. Photo by Tracy O'Neal. N02-117_01, Tracy O'Neal Photographic Collection, 1923-1975, Photographic Collection. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia

A scene from Ponce de Leon Avenue with the Sears warehouse visible at left. Photo by Tracy O'Neal in 1963. N22-216_a, Tracy O'Neal Photographic Collection, 1923-1975, Photographic Collection. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

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This sign on Ponce De Leon Avenue in 1985 indicates changes are coming soon. The building was built in 1915 as the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant. In 1942, it was sold to the U.S. War Department for the Army Air Force's Air Service Command. The building is now a commercial and residential space known as Ford Factory Square. The Sears building behind it would become City Hall East and, currently, Ponce City Market. Photo: Beverly Crawford

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