Evening star., 1946-01-27
BY John Clagett Proctor


& Lothrop, confirmation of which is
expected any day, most likely means
that two of the oldest department
stores in Washington will soon be
merged into one.
The Palais Royal is the older of the
two stores, having been first opened
at lit Pennsylvania avenue in October
1877 by George Lisner in a small store
on the site of the present Raleigh
Hotel. 1t was intended as a branch of
his New York store. Soon, the same
year, his brother, Abraham Lisner, took
over the business and owned and de-
veloped it until he sold it to the Kresge
interests in 1924.
From his small beginning at lit
Pennsylvania avenue, in a few years
Mr.. Lisner was conducting quite
business in foreign and domestic dry
goods, notions, hosiery and gents fur
nishings, in the lower floors and base
ment of the Shepherd Centennial Build
ing at the northeast corner of Twelfth
street and Pennsylvania avenue, where
he employed from 100 to $50 assistants
and was delivering goods to all parts
of the city. In 1885, and for some years
prior thereto, this siX-story building
was also occupied in part by the United
States Pension Bureau.
When the Palais Royal Moved
+ In 1893, the Palais Royal moved to
It's present site on the north side of
G street between Tenth and Eleventh
streets. But in recent years it has
considerably expanded its business and
now has branch stores in the Pentagon
Building and in Bethesda, Md, and
another is in contemplation for Silver
Spring, Md.
But Woodward, Lothrop & Corcoran
'(now just Woodward & Lothrop) was
not long after the Pafais Royal in
coming into existence, when it opened
its first store at 705 Market Space, on
February 25, 1880, moving from there
in 1883 to 921 Pennsylvania avenue.
The former site on Market Space was
later occupied by Emmons Smith &
Co., Edward j. Wardwell being the
other member of the firm.
In June, 1886, Woodward 81 Lothrop
began the construction of their new
store at Eleventh and F streets where
they have since remained. From this
partnership, which included S. Walter
Woodward and Alvin M. Lothrop, has
grown one of the most successful busi-
ness houses of its kind in this country.
and the early moving of the present
o114
same sound judgment that has resulted
in its continued prosperity. The
original building had a frontage of
only SO feet on F street and 1l9 feet
on Eleventh street. 1t was six stories
in height. The entrance was at the
corner. James G. Hill was the architect
and Charles Edmonston the builder.
The cost was about $4,000. Today it
covers the entire block from Tenth to
Eleventh, F to G streets, except the
narrow corner at Tenth and F. streets,
which is Rich's shoe store.
AT Tenth and G Streets
The last part of the square to be
acquired was the northeast corner, or
what is the southwest corner of Tenth
and G streets. This, indeed, was an
old site, for here stood st. Vincent,s
Female Orphan Asylum and St. Vim
cents Academy, the cornerstone of
which was laid on May IA. 1S49. and
remained there until torn down in the
summer of 1901.
On the F street side of the Wood
ward 6S Lothrop Building once stood
what was probably the first church in
washington proper. 1t was called st.
Andrews, Presbyterian church, built
by Rev. John Breckenridge, who Or
ganlzed his congregation here in 1894.
The reverend once owned part of the
Soldiers Home Grounds, and he now
sleeps there in plot of ground set
aside for the purpose.
Many changes have taken place
along F street, some even during the
recollection of the writer, when but few
stores lined this thoroughfare BY 1878.
a number of business and professional
men had located here. D. w. Classic
and George E. Lemon, patent agents.
were then located between Ninth and
Tenth streets, as were Albert F. Fox.
later president of the Columbia Ma
tional Bank, and one of Washingtons
grand old men; R. o. Hoffman, Rich
ard H. Marsh, George w. Stickney, B. H,
Warner & Co., Hammersley & Co..
Louis P. Shoemaker, T. A. Ofterdinger.
Frank V. Parker, John J. Wilmarth and
4. j. Mcpherson. The Morton House
was on the south side of the street.
as was the Warner Building, just then
erected. Nathaniel Carusi was at 915.
while Siles Boyce, Journalist. was at
934. OF the lawyers, C. S. Chesney.
David M. Davis, Helmick & Alleman.
r. H. T. Leopold, George Mason, j. A.
Patterson, Joseph T. K. Plant. William
F. Quicksall, John C. Williamson and
Thomas Wilson seemed to have been
sufficient for the controversies of the
day.
Early Merchants
Thomas Walsh was keeping a saloon
at No. 942. and Charles L. Windholtz
was engaged in the same business near
by, as was William Wright, and the
Georgetown law department had its
quarters at 9l5 F street. The Domestic
Sewing Machine Co. had an Office at
pos; George H. Maurer, stamping, was