[1] The original portion of the building, constructed during 1907 and 1908, is six stories tall, buff-colored Roman brick with steel frame, with concrete floors and roof.

Fronting on East Carson street, the main commercial road in the South Side Flats, it is 108 ft wide by 116 ft deep, with terra cotta first-story wall cladding and cornice trim work.

[3] Though Pennsylvania had laws in place to keep industrial firms from owning company stores directly, these laws were easily evaded by having a separate corporation own the store; such was the case with J&L Steel and the Pittsburgh Mercantile Company.

Arguments in favor included reducing the problems faced by immigrant workers that were unfamiliar with the language, customs, and problems of acquiring clothing, housing, and food, by setting up company housing and stores with payment in scrip.

[3] Pittsburgh Mercantile Company ran a general purpose store at its South Side Flats flagship location, including groceries, dry goods, hardware, and home furnishings.