The Washington herald., 1915-10-05
BERBERICH Stores
Hold ANNIVERSARY
Forty-seventh Birthday of Widely
Known Shoe Establishments Be-
ing Celebrated This Week.

Berberich's shoe stores are celebrating
the forty seventh anniversary of the
founding of the business this week. 1t
is gala occasion at the Berberich stores,
when old customers are greeted and new
ones made welcome. For almost half a
century the Berberich name has been as
sociated with good shoes in the National
Capital, and the firm of Berberich's has
established an ever widening circle Of
friends.
Three generations of shoemakers and
shoe statesmen were represented in the
Berberich stores yesterday. when the
many friends Of the firm of Berberich
| dropped in to extend their congratula-
tions. While the business under its
present name and title dates back but
forty-seven years. it was fifty years ago
that Robert Berberich first began to ply
his awl as = shoemaker in the establish
ment OF John Walter at Ills Seventh
street just few doors from the present
| headquarters establishment of the firm
he founded.
John Walter had been in the shoe
| making and shoe-scl!ing business since
ls43 at the same place. Berberich came
to Washington at the time Of the grand
| review. and secured a job making shoes
with Mr.. Walter. 4 short time later ne
| married Mr.. Walters daughter, and in
1865 took charge of the business under his
own name.
Mr.. Berberich learned every phase of
making shoes. so that after his service
In the Union Army. when he took his
place at the bench of the Walter estab-
! ishment. he was thoroughly versed in
the business Of shoemaking in al! its
branches. The Walter establishment oc-
cupied only a ninc-foot front on Seventh
street when Mr. Berberich took charge of
II IN lstS. but its fame extended through
out the District. because of the quality OF
/ the shoes Berberich made.
When business became so great that
larger store was necessary. and 1t
was also necessary to carry stocks Of
ready-made shoes, Mr.. Berberich's
knowledge of every branch of the bust
! ness made it possible for him to know
the quality of the workmanship of every
shoe he carried in his stock and he de-
chaed to carry shoes in stock that could
| not receive the same guarantee as the
shoes he made on his own bench
That was the foundation of the
Berberich success. The founder OF the
business believed in the shoe as a method
OF demonstrating art. industry, and the
highest quality of personal ambition. He
made shoes and shoemaking the one
great feature of his life-that is, the great
happened to be his family, which con-
tanned two boys. Robert j. and Joseph
A. These two boys stood for more than
his shoes. but he mana Sed to combine
the two loves into one by teaching
the boys all he knew about shoes. He
brought them up to believe in the dig
nifty and integrity of his business
Twenty-Five years ago the old Robert
Berberich sign that had been up so long
and meant so much was taken down and
Eerberich's replaced it, The business
was turned over to the sons completely
and absolutely. and for twenty-five years
they have had sole charge of it. Con-
tinuinS along the lines their father had
started, and adopting a policy of the
widest advertisement of their wares and
their business methods. the sons built I'D
the business to its present condition The
house of Berberich now occupies four
store buildings on Seventh street, 11l6 to
1l22. and also a double store building at
S13 Pennsylvania avenue.
In celebration of the anniversary, every
purchaser Of mems or women's shoes at
the Berberich stores is being presented
with pound box of Lady Fairfax candy
and bouquet of GUIDES roses