Goolrick's Pharmacy of Fredericksburg

Goolrick's History 

  The drugstore has always been an important commercial enterprise in Virginia's towns and cities.  In addition to offering medicines to the sick, the drugstore was a place where doctor and planter alike could learn about the latest remedies from across the ocean.

    First appearing in Virginia in the early eighteenth century, the pharmacy also known as a drugstore, apothecary or a medicinal shop, supplied the coloinial doctor with medicines and other supplies.  Fredericksburg had such a shop selling medicines as early as 1740.

    However, Goolricks did not appear in Fredericksburg until 1869.  William Barber Goolrick (1847-1909) attended the Virginia Military Institue around the age of 18, but before completing his freshman year he was drafted into the army of the Confederacy.  After fighting in the Civil War, he returned to Fredericksburg, saved up some money, and founded Goolrick's Pharmacy.  In the late 1890s, the store was moved from it's orginial location to it's current location, 901 Caroline Street.

    William worked with his son, Keating Nelson Goolrick, at the pharmacy until his death in 1909.  Keating installed the soda fountain in 1912, which is the oldest continuously running fountain in the United States of America.  Goolrick's then became the first place in Fredericksburg to sell Coca-Cola products and the pharmacy became one of the most successful drugstores in the city.  Norah Elizabeth Goolrick, William's daughter, married William Jones Lacy in 1912.  As a state-accredited pharmacist, Lacy began working at Goolrick's.  With the help of Charles P. Rector, Lacy ran the pharmacy.  Nelson Goolrick continued working in the store with his brother-in-law until his death in 1921.  When William Lacy died in 1933, Charles P. Rector took over the store.

Rector's widow, Francis, and her brother, Dick Tompkins bought the pharmacy from Mrs. Lacy after Rector's death in 1938.  Tomkins became popular with the customers as the manager.      Charles T. "Buggy" Rector was hired shortly after Tompkins took over to perform various jobs for the store.

    Soon after in 1939, the pharmacy was damaged by a flood, and then again in 1942.  The entire basement and first floor were filled in 1942.  Around 1960, Buggy took over after the death of his uncle.  He ran and owned Goolrick's despite waning sales in the '60s, '70s, and early '80s.  On August 20, 1990, after a lifetime of commitment and hard work, Buggy sold the store to Steve May, age 48.  May is the current owner, manager and proprietor.

 
  ~*~*~ Then and Now ~*~*~

To learn more about the history of Fredericksburg, check out the following links...

Fredericksburg, VA
(sponsored by the Free Lance Star)

Living History of Fredericksburg
(sponsored by History Experiences)

History Point
(sponsored by Central Rappahannock Regional Library)

Simply Fredericksburg
(sponsored by Simply Web Services)

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