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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Start the day with a nod to Steinbach Department Store and its enduring place in New Jersey shore history. The chain began in Long Branch in 1870, expanded to Asbury Park in 1874, and made its Cookman Avenue flagship a downtown landmark. From its clock tower era to later mall expansion and corporate transitions, Steinbach’s story reflects how regional retail changed over generations. This coffee mug is a welcoming choice for longtime shoppers, local history enthusiasts, and collectors who remember the names that shaped Northeast department store culture.

Founded in 1870 in Long Branch, New Jersey, by brothers John, Henry, and Jacob Steinbach, the department store chain expanded to Asbury Park four years later. By the early 20th century, it was described as the world's largest department store. Its Asbury Park flagship on Cookman Avenue grew from five floors to include a fifth floor and clock tower in the 1930s. Supermarkets General Corporation acquired the chain in the 1960s; it continued to operate separately, while two Goerke's stores were incorporated and renamed Steinbach. In 1978, the parent combined Steinbach and Howland under the corporate name Howland-Steinbach, while both retail names remained in use. The downtown Asbury Park store closed in 1979, and a nearby Seaview Square branch was expanded to carry its departments. Amcena Corporation acquired the chain in 1986 and converted former Ohrbach's and Howland locations to the Steinbach name in 1987. Schottenstein's purchased the chain in 1994; Crowley Milner and Company acquired it in 1995. Steinbach filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999, later converted to Chapter 7 liquidation, and was liquidated with Crowley Milner. The former flagship building was renovated after its 2001 purchase and reopened with retail space and apartments.