Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-03-09

Lsnsburgh e. Bro. will open q
Sl.o00.000 addition of their store
formally for the inspection of the
public tomorrow night. That's the
intrinsic news of it. But back of this
lies story which reflects the growth
and development Of Washington a.
judged by the medium of store
which has acted as the supply counter
for public demand since 1860, some
65 years ago.
1t is a truism that as city
hroadens and develops the residents
pass through similar evolution. And
corollary to that axiom is that the
stores which serve the residents must
also expand with those they serve.
All of which is apropos of what
follows
About a wear before the Civil War,
when Washington was a fairly stable
village. Gustave and Max Lansburgh
came here from Baltimore and opened
two stores-one at 1855 Seventh street
and one a bit further up Seventh
street. near l street. But as the
Rambler, who lives and breathes old
Washington, pointed out few weeks
ago in a historical sketch. the city
directory of Washington, in 1852, con-
tanned the entry: IN. Lansburgh &
Bro. fancy goods agency. 322 c
north" and a few years later this
address was supplemented with the
information over the Bank OF wash
incton." 1t seems that this must have
been the starting point OF the busl-
ness which reflects the growth OF
civic and commercial Washington. At
any rate, there are few here To-Day
who remember when the little store
over the Bank of Washington" sold
shoestrings. collar buttons, hose,
bustles and fancy little knick- knacks
of various sorts. That was the first
era.
second Era Starts.
The second started when the Balti-
more Bargain House. at 3I5 Seventh
street under the old street address
system, opened between | and h
streets This was in Civil War days,
for that address is contained, to quote
the Rambler, in the directory of 1868.
it seems that the brothers had already
started to expand. Camorics ana
calico then began to enter the In
ventory lists of the store. Dry goods
became part of the supply to satisfy
the demands of the public and the
new venture prospered.
The store was then known As the
Baltimore Bargain House. 1t was
quite an imposing little three-story
structure, with its chimney, as can
be seen from the drawing of the
nsighbcrhood of that day, towering
fun half story above the adjoining
buildings. Horse cars passed the
door. 1t was the day of sedate dis
play. in so far as goods were con-
cerned. and the day of quiet. easy,
humdrum buying, in so far as the
shopping public was concerned.
Then came a change. Washin gton
was changing. This store had to ex-
pand to keep up with the pace the
city was setting. The city was be-
coming quite the metropolis. So,
what more could be done by the store
than to capitalize the use of the
name metropolitan Dry Goods Store"
and to move to the old Intelligencer
Building, at SIS Seventh street, under
the old enumeration system for adj
dresses, Just north of where the Jen-
ifer Building now stands. This took
place in 1866, just after the Civil
War days, when a more dignified and
impressive Washington was begin
ming to make it's influence on BUSH
ness felt.
Drop "Bargsin House,
1t will be noticed that the words
"ba rgain house had been tossed un-
tremendously into the discard. The
word Metropolitan stood out And
it was not long before the adjoining
building on the north of the Metro
politan Store was leased by the Lans-
burghs TO create the then impressive
double store"-two buildings con-
nected by an archway.
Meanwhile the supply counter for
the demand of Washingtonisns had
to be broadened. Instead of articles
like collar buttons and socks, as
found in the original little notion
store, the counters now were boast
ing silks and fine linens, black
goods" dress goods and on one floor
of the building even a manufactur-
ing project was launched under
Charles Leonardo. Miss Annie O'Brien,
who is still with Lansburgh's can
sit down today and tell you how
she ran errands in that institution.
Cotton dresses, mantillas, dolmans,
''waterproofs"- names to the
present generation which knows
nothing of the gorgeous hoopskirts
and magnificent bustles of yesteryear
all these were manufa ctured under
the direction of Leonardo and during
this era.
The double-store stage OF Lans-
hurghs development started in the
early 70's and ended in 1882. when
the store advertised what proba bly,
will always be recognized as the
biggest move in our business career"
This was quite a bit further north
on Seventh street, to Nos. 420, 422 and
t24, on which site part of the present
Seventh street building now stands.
The public had become far more
discriminating. The great division
in the old era and the recent era is
marked in that move. Where previ-
ous1y only articles of rather an es-
Sential nature were sold, the new
store took up and handled articles
which had ornamental use as well
a serviceable utility; luxuries. they
are called heean IN creen in EIahor-