240 Commercial NE
Salem, Or 97301
Phone: (503) 363-7973

Greenbaum's Quilted Forest web site: www.quiltedforest.com

Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest is celebrated its100th birthday in 1999. It is the oldest family business in the same location in Salem. It began as Greenbaum’s Department Store, with Isadore Greenbaum at the helm. His brother-in-law joined him in 1903, and it became Rostein & Greenbaum’s. They ran the shop in Salem and also bought and closed out failing stores in other valley towns.

Isadores’ son Adolph joined the business in 1928 and Ed Rostein left to work in the insurance business with another brother-in-law, Sam Adolph. Isadore died in 1930, and Adolph and his wife Mildred ran the store briefly until she died. Adolph continued on, specializing, changing the department store to the Willamette Valley’s first fabric shop around 1943 to 1948.

Adolph died in 1960 and his sister Irene bought out (sister) Leah and continued the operation of Greenbaum’s Fine Fabrics. Her husband, Albert Depenbrock, eventually joined her as well.

The Depenbrock’s daughter, Sylvia and her husband Bill Dorney bought the business in 1978. They worked together until 1985 when Bill left to direct the Salem Downtown Association. Sylvia specialized further, changing the fabric store into a quilt shop, carrying fabrics, books, and notions for quilting in 1988 and calling it Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest. Sylvia has been at the shop 22 years and has overtaken her Mother's 18 years, but not her grandfather's 28 years or her uncle's 32 years!

There is a lot of history in the building; fabric is cut on the original counters with brass tacks marking the yards, an antique register is used for creative displays, and they still use the Rostein & Greenbaum safe! A large glass case from the early store was refinished by Bill Dorney and put back into use; other antiques are used for display pieces.

The shop is housed in the 1889 Boothby building. Ed and Isadore purchased it in 1919 and sold it to Roy Lockenour in 1943. Adolph rented space from Roy with the agreement that he would have the first chance to buy the building if it were to sell. After Adolph died, Lockenour told Albert Depenbrock that Lipmans wanted to buy the building and that they had agreed on a price, but he was honoring his agreement with Adolph and offering it to them first. Albert took his time in telling Irene about this, not realizing their end use was to be parking lot expansion and, by the time they had secured funds and called Roy, he was in a meeting with Lipmans. Roy’s wife interrupted the meeting, getting Roy out, and he subsequently sold the building to Albert & Irene Depenbrock in 1966, preserving it for their future use.

Bill & Sylvia Dorney purchased the Boothby/Greenbaum building in May of 1999, and Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest continues to occupy the main floor.

Researched and written by: Sylvia Dorney, owner.