The Washington herald., 1919-10-30
DRUG STORE IS
MADE MODERN
Old Thompson Pharmacy
Remodeled, Added to
Peoples Chain.

The Apothecary Of the Presi-
dents" one of the most interesting
and venerable landmarks of old
Washington. familiarly known as
the Thompson Pharmacy. 703 Fiji
teenth street northwest. has been
remodeled and modernized. and
added to the chain of Peoples
Drug Stores. Under the new man
agement the historic place will be
formally opened to the public with
in a week.
Its evolution from an old-fashion-
ed apothecary to an up-to-the-
minute drug store has been COM
.plete. The ancient fixtures and
psraphernalia have been replaced
by the last word in pharmaceutical
equipment. All traces of the days
ories. have been eliminated in the
process OF refltting.
The original drug store was cs-
tablished about sixty years ago by
DIR. W. s. Thompson, then a young
drug clerk from Frederick. Nd.
with his limited capital he erected
a small one-story frame building.
foreseeing that the nearncss of his
place OF business to the White
House and Treasury would be a
valuable asset. So. in 1859 he
threw his doors open to the public.
At that time the space on Fifteenth
street between G street and New
York avenue was occupied as a
greenhouse. the proprietor of which
had for many years supplied the
dignified society folks with rare
blossoms and blooms. The site upon
which he erected his little frame
apothecary was purchased from the
florist
1t is related that Tad Lincoln.
son Of the martyred President, was
a regular patron of the Thompson
establishment. He used to run over
from the white House to purchase
Iicorice root, the favorite Chew"
for boys of that period, and soda
water that had just come into
vogue. There were no soda foun-
tains in those days. DR.. Thompson
and his assistants would make the
'fizz pop" by placing a spoonful of
white powder in the glass, adding
sugar and powdered flavor and then
fll the glass with pump water. The
liquid would sputter and effervesce
much like the seidlitz powers of to-
day. That was the soda water of
our granddaddies and grandmas.
Stored in the cellars of the Peo-
pies Drug Stores are great files of
prescriptions from the Thompson
pharmacy. Among them are the
originals from which RENE dies were
compounded for practically every
President from Buchanan to Taft,
and many of the foreign diplomats
and others high in the social and
political life of the Capital. Num-
erous Cabinet officers and members
OF Congress also had their prescrip-
tions filled at Thompson's. On sew
cral occasions when Gen. U. s.
Grant was President he would stroll
over from the White House to
Thompson's and purchase cigars or
other things. always lingering to
have a pleasant chat with the pro-
prietor.
The frame store was replaced by
the present building in 1871. While
the latter was being erected Mr..
Thompson occupied building
OIL VI SlTtCl. III 1908 ne re-
modelled the structure and put in
the famous ivory fixtures, which
were hand-carved and caused the
boys of that time to nickname the
place "Noah's Ark" because of its
ancient quaintness.
The Peoples Drug Stores took
over the landmark business house
April IS. 1919, and will operate the
place In the splendid manner in
which all the drug stores in its
chain are conducted. 1t will be
known as the wv. S. Thompson
Branch Store s. of the Peoples
Drug Stores" Some of the Thomp-
son employees will be retained, one
OF them, DR.. Small, of the prescrip-
tion department having been with
Mr.. Thompson twenty consecutive
years.
w. :. Thompson stood high in his
chosen profession and,was regarded
as an authority in many things. He
was born in Maine, from which
State he went to Frederick. ND. in
his youth and became a pharmacist.
coming from there to Washington
about 1859. In 1871 DR.. THOMPSON
was elected a member of the Phar-
maceutical Association, becoming
its president in 1888 and 1884. In
1872 he Incorporated and organised
the National College Of Pharmacy,
now a branch of the George wash
ington University. In July. 1900.
he was one of the incorporators OF
the United States PharmacopoeiaI
Convention, and held other high
ranks In the profession. -
DR.. W. s. Thompson died in this