Thalhimer's
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| Thalhimers | |
|---|---|
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| Fate | Merged into Hecht's |
| Founded | 1842 |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | apparel, furniture, accessories |
Thalhimer's was a department store in the Southern United States. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the venerable chain at its peak operated dozens of stores in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and one store in Memphis, Tennessee. The name is frequently pronounced "Tall Hammers" by those in the Richmond area.
Thalhimer's traditions were most notable during the holiday season with visits from the sticker-distributing Snow Bear and, in later years, the arrival of Lego Land at the downtown Richmond store.
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[edit] History
William Thalhimer immigrated to the Richmond area from Germany in the early 19th century. In 1842 he opened a dry good store which his grandson, William B. Thalhimer (1888-1969), transformed into Richmond's first department store. In 1978, the company, by then developed into a regional department store chain, was acquired by California-based Carter Hawley Hale Stores. It was at this time that the apostrophe was dropped from the company's logo, making the name "Thalhimers".
At one time, Carter Hawley Hale owned several notable department stores, including upscale Neiman-Marcus and John Wanamaker. After poor financial results throughout the 1980s, and saddled by the effects of leveraged debt from fending off two leveraged buyout attempts, in 1990, Carter Hawley Hale decided to concentrate on its West Coast department stores such as The Broadway, Emporium, and Capwell's and sold Thalhimers to St. Louis-based May Company.
In 1992 Thalhimers was merged into The Hecht Company (May's Washington, DC division), and nearly all locations were rebranded as Hecht's, excluding the Charleston and Memphis stores which were sold to Dillard's.
[edit] Downtown Richmond store
Thalhimers massive six-story flagship store at Seventh and Broad Streets was built in 1939. Its luxurious restaurant, the Richmond Room, was the source of many recipes still published today. The Richmond Room also had a fast food spin-off, the fried chicken chain Golden Skillet. For many years it and its main rival, Miller & Rhoads, were the fashionable retail anchors for downtown Richmond.
On February 22, 1960, a group of students from Virginia Union University staged a protest against racial segregation at the Richmond Room. Some 34 were arrested, the city's first mass arrests of the Civil Rights Movement. The case of Raymond B. Randolph, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (202 Va. 661, 665 (1961)) would test whether trespassing laws constituted a violation of free speech.
Along with several other Thalhimers locations, the downtown flagship closed on January 22, 1992 after purchase by the May Company. It had been the last major department store in the once-bustling retail corridor; Miller & Rhoads had closed in January 1990. The building remained vacant until demolished on June 12, 2004 to make way for a controversial performing arts center.
[edit] Former Locations
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[edit] North Carolina
- Cary, Cary Towne Center: Opened 1991, became Hecht's 1992, Macy's 2006.
- Charlotte, SouthPark Mall: Opened 1986, became Hecht's 1992, Macy's 2006.
- Durham, Northgate Mall: Opened 1974, became Hecht's 1992, relocated to larger location and replaced by Hudson-Belk 1994, closed 2005, converted into movie theater run by East Coast Entertainment 2005.
- Fayetteville, Cross Creek Mall: Opened 1975, became Hecht's 1992, Macy's 2006.
- Greensboro, Four Seasons Town Centre: Opened 1975, closed 1992.
- Greensboro, Friendly Center: Opened 1958, relocated to larger location 1970, became Hecht's 1992, expanded 1997, Macy's 2006.
- High Point, Westchester Mall: Opened 1970, closed 1992.
- Raleigh, Cameron Village: Opened 1972, closed 1992. Now Harris Teeter [1]
- Raleigh, Crabtree Valley Mall: Opened 1972, became Hecht's 1992, closed 1995, became Lord & Taylor 1995, closed 2006, currently Hudson Belk Men's Store
- Winston-Salem, Hanes Mall: Opened 1975, relocated to larger location 1990, became Hecht's 1992, Macy's 2006.
[edit] South Carolina
- Charleston, Citadel Mall: Opened 1981, became Dillard's 1992, became JCPenney 1995. Demolished in 1997 and replaced by Target.
- North Charleston, Northwoods Mall: Opened 1985, became Dillard's 1992.
[edit] Tennessee
- Memphis, Tennessee, Mall of Memphis: Opened 1982, became Dillard's 1992, closed 2001.
[edit] Virginia
- Hampton, Coliseum Mall: Opened 1976 in former JB Hunter, became Hecht's 1992, Macy's 2006. Mall demolished but store still open.
- Petersburg, Walnut Mall: Opened 1966, closed 1991. Mall demolished.
- Richmond, Azalea Mall: Opened 1963, closed 1991. Mall demolished.
- Richmond, Broad Street: Opened 1939, closed 1992. Building demolished.
- Richmond, Cloverleaf Mall: Opened 1972, became Hecht's 1992, closed 2003. Mall closed 2008 but not yet demolished.
- Richmond, Regency Square Mall
- Roanoke, Valley View Mall: Opened 1985, became Hecht's 1992, Macy's 2006.
- Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven Mall: Opened 1981, became Hecht's 1992, closed 1998. Currently vacant.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Thalhimer family member's masters' thesis (VCU, 2005) with store history/chronology and anecdotes [1]
- RichmondCityWatch.com: Thalhimer's Department Store photographs[dead link]
- Virginia Union University: The Richmond 34
- Forsyth County Public Library: Photograph Collection, including 1959 pictures of the Thalhimers in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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