Woodward & Lothrop

Woodward and Lothrop, "Woodies," or W & L, was a Washington, D.C., family owned retail store located at 10th & 11th Streets between F and G Streets, NW. Founders Samuel Walter Woodward (1848-1917) and Alvin Mason Lothrop (1847-1912), opened a dry goods store in Chelsea, Mass., in 1873, with six clerks. Seeking a larger market in 1880, they moved to Washington, D.C., and established the Boston House, Woodward, Lothrop, and Cochran, at 705 Market Space, NW. Five years later, they moved to a four story building at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue. Walter wrote the ads, convincing the Washington Star to change the ads daily, from the usual practice of every two weeks. They also initiated the practice of returning merchandise, a one price system, and in 1894 a "Friday Bargain Day." In 1886 they relocated to the Carlisle Building at 11th and F street, NW, after establishing a Men's Furnishing Store and executive offices at 1013 F street. Stores were opened in Baltimore, Md., and Richmond, Va., 1891 but closed in 1893. By 1897 W & L had one thousand employees and twenty delivery wagons, and during the Christmas season inaugurated a shopping card for customers to shop in many departments and pick up their parcels at the purchasing office. In 1900 a branch office in Paris, with two resident buyers was established, and four hundred cases of foreign goods for W & L passed through the Georgetown, D.C., customs office. The 1906 D.C. Charter lists S.W. Woodward as president, A.M. Lothrop as vice-president, and Max Fisher as treasurer. In 1946 W & L purchased the Palais Royal Department Store, owned by Sebastian Kresge, that included a store at 11th and G Streets, NW, (W & L North Building), a warehouse at 1127 1st Street, NE, and three branch stores in Arlington, Bethesda, and Department of Defense (Pentagon). Between 1946 and 1982, branches were established in suburban Maryland and Virginia. Family members remained active in the management of the stores until the annual stockholders meeting in 1978, although some remained active on the Board of Directors. A. Alfred Taubman, a Michigan real estate magnate, became the new owner in Oct. 1984. He mortgaged all the property to secure a loan to purchase Wanamakers store in Philadelphia, Pa., and then merged the Wanamakers store with W & L. By 1991 the Employee Savings Plan was depleted, leaving the employees' retirement savings in jeopardy. W & L filed for bankruptcy protection in 1994. The Federated Department Stores were outbid by J.C. Penney Co. and May Department Store Co. J.C. Penney and May agreed to hire all 3100 union employees. The flagship store building was purchased by the Washington Opera at a bankruptcy auction and in 1999, real estate developer Douglas Jemal purchased the building from the Opera. As of 2008, the building is being developed into a mixed use office and retail space.

From the description of Woodward & Lothrop records, 1873-1995. (Historical Society of Washington, Dc). WorldCat record id: 262978709