Garfinckel's elegant Neo-classical 1930 edifice on 'F' Street in the Nation's Capital
Garfinckel's graced the corner of Fourteenth and 'F' Street NW
Julius Garfinckel & Co.
F Street at 14th
Washington, D.C. (1898/1929)
Washington, D.C. (1898/1929)
NAtional 8-7730
First Floor
Cosmetics • Hosiery • Handbags • Precious Jewelry • Costume Jewelry • Scarves • Gloves • Blouses • Hat Bar • Accessories • Rainwear • Sportswear • Small Gifts • Luggage • Small Leather Goods • Fendi Boutique • Hermès Boutique • Trussardi Boutique • Men’s Fragrances • Men’s Gifts • Men’s Furnishings • Neckwear • Gregorian Candle Salon • Candies
Second Floor
Men’s Sportswear • Men’s Clothing • Men’s Shoes • Men’s Designer Sportswear • Contemporary Men’s Shop • Off Campus • Par Avion • Young Men’s • American Express Travel Bureau
Designer Third Floor
Designer Dresses • Yound Designer Dresses • Designer Sporstwear • Designer Salon • Fur Salon • Chanel Boutique • Jaeger at Garfinckel’s • Designer Shoes • Millinery Salon • Couturier Salon
Fourth Floor
Loungewear • Intimate Apparel • Robes • Sleepwear • At Homewear • Contemporary Sleepwear • Designer Loungewear • Designer Sleepwear • Contemporary Loungewear • JG Dresses • JG Coats & Suits • JG Sportswear • JG Shoes • Junior Dresses • Junior Coats • Junior Sportswear • Contemporary Sportswear • Beauty Salon
Fifth Floor
Special Editions Dresses • Special Editions Shoes • Special Editions Sportswear • Sepcial Editions Shoes • Greenbriar Dresses • Greenbriar Sports Shops • Greenbriar Knits • Greenbriar Shoes • Greenbriar Sports • Greenbriar Coats • Greenbriar Plus • Updated Sportswear • Updated Dresses • Greenbriar Garden Tea Room • Family Album Corner • Town Art Gallery
Sixth Floor
Young World Boyswear • Boys Clothing • Girlswear • Childrens • Toddlers • Infants • Young Juniors • Shoes • Toys • Debutante Shop • Debutante Shoes • Sub-Deb Shop
Seventh Floor
China • Silverware • Crystal • Stemware • Gifts • Art Porcelains • Waterford Gallery • Boehm Gallery • Linens • Bath Shop • Gourmet • Trim-a-Home Shop • Antoine Salon • Wig Boutique
Eighth Floor
Customer Service • Cashier • Credit Office
BRANCH STORES (1942-1972)
Spring Valley (1942)
4820 Massachusetts Ave.
35,000 sq. ft.
Seven Corners (1956)
Fairfax Co. VA
50,000 sq. ft.
Montgomery Mall (1967)
Bethesda MD
90,000 sq. ft.
Tyson’s Corner (1968)
McLean, VA
30,000 sq. ft.
Landover Mall (1972)
Landover, MD
90,000 sq. ft.
Springfield Mall (Feb. 28, 1973)
Springfield, VA
BRANCH STORE MAP
loved,loved this store in washington dc
ReplyDeleteThe store inside the Tyson's Corner mall was lavish with it's sharply angled black marble entrance and glass stairs. I have one shirt of my father's with a Julius Garfinkel label and will keep it forever!
ReplyDeleteMy Mother worked for Garfinkel's for 41 years. She started out as a pregnant (with me) phone operator, advanced to shoe sales and then on to the Display Department at the Spring Valley Store. She decorated the windows and interior displays at the F Street store until 1956 when she was assigned to the Seven Corner's Store Display Department. I still have a few much loved signature Garfinkel's boxes.
ReplyDeleteI think I worked with your mother from 75 to 80 at Seven Corners. I had my first job there as a stock boy and on the sales floor in the China department. She used to let me help her put up the Christmas decorations. She taught me a lot about good Christmas design.
ReplyDeleteI worked for Garfinckel's in the Security Department, first at Montgomery Mall and later downtown. I worked under Helen Zinn, Director of Security. This lady was a great boss. She was married to E. Z. Zinn, an FBI agent. A number of years later, after a career as a lawyer and judge, I returned to police work and the fellow who did my background investigation was a retired FBI agent, who trained under Mr. Zinn.
ReplyDeleteMy mother who is still with us at 88 loved to shop at Garfinckel's. We still have silverware that she acquired from the store. My grandmothers shopped there as well. It was the store for old line Washingtonians.
If you see the movie, J. Edgar, with Leonardo DiCaprio, there is a scene in Garfinckel's. It is pretty close as to what I remember from the early 70's.
Sorry to see the store close down.
Kevin J. Street
Streetlaw1@aol.com
I lost contact with Mrs. Zinn when I moved South. I would love to reconnect with her.
I just found your blog researching a peignoir set I just purchased, it has a tag in it that reads: "Julius Garfinkel & Co. Washington - Paris" .
ReplyDeleteI am trying to date and price this piece and it is so nice to find a site with some history.
Thank you.
I also just acquired a beautiful vintage evening bag that has gold stamping inside that reads: Julius Garfinkle & Co. Washington, D.C. it also has gold stamping on the inside opposite side that reads: MM in fancier lettering, could be someone's initials? Does anyone know if this department store was known to monogram their handbags for customers? I would love any information that anyone can offer. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI have been researching details about Garfinkle's and Hecht's in 1950 Washington D.C. This site is the best I have found. Can anyone tell me the department store hours of operation?
ReplyDeleteI was living in d.c. in 1950 for s short time. my husband was in the service. We bought gifts in garfinckels for our families back home
DeleteI still have the paper angels from the Christmas wrapped gifts.
I was going through some items I had on my site and saw this site in realation to a search I did on Julius Garfinkle. As it happens I have a reciept from Feb 16, 1961 for $30.00 worth of clothes bought at the Washinton 4, D.C. store. What makes the reciept so speacial is who its from. Jakie Kennedy.
ReplyDeletehttp://hailtothechiefs.com/?product=jackie-kennedy-shopping-receipt
Fond memories of Garfinckel's. I was a Display Trimmer at the Hecht Co in the early 70's and knew all the trimmers inthe F Street area -- Lansburgh's, Jelleff's(?), Woodie's, Morton's, and Gerfinckel's -- we'd get together at lunch or after work and have a great time. Those were the days. In fact, for a while F Street was Pedestrian Traffic Only. I miss Neisner's 5&10 with their great "greenhouse" in the basement where you could buy all kinds of plants, and their main floor with all the framed pcitures of the presidents.
ReplyDeletei have some gold vermeil baby spoons from garfinkles they look really old. any info!!!
ReplyDeleteI have some letter's from 1944 by Miss Dorothy Jones, who was a Red Cross Clubmobile girl during WWII in Europe. According to one of the letters to her mother that I have, before joining the Red Cross, Miss Jones worked at Garfinkle's in the drafting room (I assume for store ads). She described "A Hungarian (naturalized) who spent 10 years in the Canal Zone" sits beside me", and a "tall, skinny Texan sits behind me". I don't know if Miss Jones returned to work at Garfinkle's after the war or not, but I thought you might be interested to know that a Garfinkle's employee served in England, France and Germany from mid-1944 through the end of 1945.
ReplyDeleteI started a Christmas tradition of buying 3 tree ornaments from their open stock in 1967. Still have the JG boxes (some are actually small hat boxes) and the ornaments. They are the foundation of a large collection I have accumulated over the past 45 years. Our family shopped mainly at the 7 corners store since we lived out that way. By the way, Woodies was on the other side of the shopping center.
ReplyDeleteI remember the wonderful JG gift wrapping service (no matter how small the purchase!) and the blue and gold boxes with the glittery stretch gold "ribbons" they used around Christmas. I also recall the boxes changing each year with different combinations of blue, gold and white. Can anyone post pictures of those boxes and ribbons, please? They are legendary in our family and I don"t have a single one left to show people when I tell the JG stories. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Garfinckel F. Street Store in the Alterations Department and at the Georgetown Park Mall store. I have real Amarican History stories about working at this store in the 80's!
ReplyDelete