The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-22
A Mighty Retail Trade
That Has Grown From
the Ground Up.
FURTHER ENLARGE
TO MEET DEMANDS
Big Business Home of the Thai
miners to Be More Than Dou-
bled in Size-The Magnifi-
cent Building Is to Ex-
tend From Broad to
Grace Street.


growth OF the great houses that go to
make up Richmond, the great bust
ness houses, I mean, and some of them
are constantly growing. For instance,
the dry goods house OF tho Thalhimers,
which commenced away back yonder,
twenty and more years before tho War
Between the States was commenced,
finds that Its business has within the
past few years outgrown even Its en-
iarged quarters, and moro room must
pc made. The Thalhimer Brothers
rean2ed this fact more than q year aEo,
and when they saw their opportunity
TO acquire the ground upon which to
build larger, they took advantage OF
II. and now II Is no longer a secret
thnt plans are being mado for the
building of their store from the corner
or Broad Street. at the corner of Fifth =
street, across the alley and along
through to Grace Street, which, when
completed. will make 1t one Of tho
most comInodious OF all of the TWEEN
tieth century stores OF Creator Rich
mond.
New Store Tint LIZ To he.
Tbs five-column picture on the first
page of tae Industrial Section of to-
day represents the Grace Street front
OF the new store. according to the plan
already made and perfected by the
we'll known architect Charles Is.
Sryant, as 1t will be when completed,
PROBABLY before the beginning of the
next year These plans are made for
n seven story and basement building,
to he hrcproof throughout and
equipped with all modern appointments
appropriate for /, building of this char
acter.
The portion OF tho building fronting
on Grace Street. and running back to
the alley, opening on Fifth Street to
the Thalhimers' present building on
Broad Street, with which it will con-
meet and be part, making u great
building with both Broad and Grace
Street entrances, will be erected and
completed in, every detail before any
work VIII be done on the Broad Street
store. and thus the great work of I'M
provemcrt will be carried on without
making even Il days halt in the trans
action Of the business that has boon
going on for all these many years.
A House With Growing History.
The history OF the house or the
I'halhimers is largely n part OF the
history OF Richmond, and no chapter
in Richmond's great history is more in
teresting. William Thalhimer, the
father of the members of the present
firm OF Thalhimer Brothers, came to
Richmond and started in the retail dry
goods business in /. small way down
In tho lower part of the city. The
business prospe1cd from the very start,
because the elder Thalhimer, like his
sons after him, did business on the
principal of honest values to every
buyer. and it was not long before his
hoUse obtained reputation for fair
dealing. and for good business that
made 1t known far and wide. and at
tracted customers from all parts OF
the territory he strove to serve.
In the year 1862 he purchased prop
|erty on Broad Street, between Third
and Fourth Streets. now occupied by
Coles, the confectionery man, and at
that stand the enlarged and growing
business was continued for several
years, and in the meantime brauclre
houses were maintained on Main Street,
between Fifteenth and seventeenth
Streets and at 1913 East Main Street.
In 1859 the Broad Street store was
moved to Sixth and Broad Streets, and
the branch stores We're still kept up.
The Last Move.
In 1880, having outgrown the quar-
tiers ut Sixth and Broad, the store was
removed to Fifth and Broad, whore It
now is, and soon thereafter the branch
houses We're discontinued and tho
whole force and energy of the Thai
hlmers were concentrated OH this
Road Street establishment. In tho
course OF events, as was natural, the
iirm name changed and In time became
Thalhmer Brothers, the sons OF the
originator OF tho house-Isaac aud
Moses MISUNDERSTANDING the pro-
rrietors, and under that name the busr-
ncss sill. goes on In tho course OF
wears. as customs changed and the de-
mands OF the tines required. the house
became great department store, but
the dry goods feat vas never dis-
.t,pf hIIt ON n
tho leading feature OF the house, and
IS yet.
The dry goods department Is every
thing the name implies, with all of
the modern attachments that twentieth
century ideas call for.
do not just know what the now
building have mentioned above VIII
be. bat the architect tells me 1t is go-f
ing to largely more than double the
present capacity of the house, and I E
am quite sure the the Thalheimers Will
see TO il that all of that capacity Is
utilized; but do know somewhat OF
the present house, and that seems to-
me 70 be commodous and capacious
enough for all practical purposes. AS
1t Is at present, there are four wells
filed floors, including the extensive
basement.
Heavily Laden Floors.
The basement floor Is devoted to-
wash goods OF all kinds. cotton and
domestic goods shtetings. pillow eases.
blankets, spreads and holdings OF all
kinds.
The first Or street floor, IS the dry
goods departmenc proper, with other
lines algo Here arc to 90 found the
Silks, dress goods. Iaces. ombroiderfca,
hosiery and gloves. linens. white go5dne
ribbons, neckware jeWelry. leatket l
goods, umbrellas. mems furnishings of \.
NIL kinds. and heaven only knows wlist y
else.
The second floor is confined 10 ,wort,ss
ems ready-to-wear goods and tho art
(Continued on Fifta Page d 80