Joseph R. Harris Co. was a Washington, D.C.–based chain of women's apparel stores.
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1916 |
| Defunct | ? |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
Key people | Joseph R. Harris, founder |
| Products | Fashion apparel, shoes, accessories, and cosmetics. |
History
editThe chain was founded in 1916 in Washington, D.C. by Joseph R. Harris. By the time of its sale in 1971, to the retail conglomerate Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads, Inc., it had grown to nine locations in the Washington, D.C. area, and branches in Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina.[1] The company's founder retired as board chairman that same year.[2]
In 1978, the Minneapolis, Minnesota–based retailer Gamble-Skogmo, Inc. purchased a 20-percent share of the Garfinckel conglomerate from the Joseph R. Harris family, thereby gaining a controlling interest in it. A court suit resulted in an agreement that Gamble-Skogmo would not acquire any more stock in Garfinckel.[3][4][5][6] The following year, Garfinckel sold the Joseph R. Harris Co., then renamed Harris & Friends, to the Petrie Stores Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio. At the time, Harris had 26 stores in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and the District of Columbia.[7]
Flagship store
editThe original location was at 1212 F Street, NW, in the downtown core shopping district of Washington, D.C. In 1929, they moved to 1224 F Street, NW. The chains final flagship store opened in 1965, and was located at 1336 F Street, NW; a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) store located in space formerly occupied by Capitol Theater in the National Press Building.[8] The site is now occupied by The Shops at National Place.
References
edit- ^ "'Expansive' Garfinckel to Acquire Harris," The Washington Post and Times-Herald, Jan 31, 1971, p. 115.
- ^ "Joseph R. Harris Sr. Dies, Founded Clothing Chain," The Washington Post, Nov 20, 1979, p. C4.
- ^ "Retailer Plans to Expand," The Washington Post, Nov 13, 1977, p. 109.
- ^ "Garfinckel's Battles Gamble-Skogmo Takeover Bid," The Washington Post, Sep 2, 1978, p. E1.
- ^ "Harris Family Got Premium for Stock," The Washington Post, Sep 15, 1978, p. E1.
- ^ "Garfinckel Tells of Merger Bid," The Washington Post, Jan 4, 1979, p. D9.
- ^ "Garfinckel Plans Sale of Joseph R. Harris," The Washington Post, Mar 29, 1979, p. C1.
- ^ "J.R. Harris to Open New Downtown Store," The Washington Post and Times-Herald, Mar 14, 1965, p. C10.