F. W. Woolworth Building (Wilmington, Delaware) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
F. W. Woolworth Company Building
|
|
Facing the corner with Market Street to the left and 9th to the right.
|
|
 Location in Delaware
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 839 N. Market St., Wilmington, Delaware |
|---|---|
| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1940 |
| Architect | Stakes, H.W. |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| MPS | Market Street MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003755 |
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 1987 |
The F. W. Woolworth Company Building is a special old building in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. It used to be a big department store where people could buy many different things. Today, it is still an important part of the city's history.
History of the Building
The Woolworth store opened here in 1940. It was a very popular place for shopping. The F. W. Woolworth Company ran this store for a long time, until 1997. This was one of the last Woolworth stores to close.
After Woolworth's closed, a drug store called Happy Harry's moved in. It stayed there for several years. In 2007, a bigger company called Walgreens bought Happy Harry's.
Walgreens kept the store open, sometimes still using the Happy Harry's name. In 2008, a company called BPG Property Group bought the building. They now rent it out to Walgreens, and it is still a Walgreens store today.
Cool Art Deco Style
The building was designed by an architect named H. W. Stakes. He used a cool style called Art Deco. This style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
The building has a strong steel frame inside. Its outside walls are made of masonry. Look closely at the second and third floors. You will see stripes of peach and cream-colored terra cotta tiles. These tiles have pretty lotus flower designs.
At the corner of 9th and Market streets, there is a special grey medallion. It has a raised letter "W" on it. This "W" stands for Woolworth.
When it was a Woolworth's store, it had two floors for shopping. There was the main floor and a lower floor called the bargain basement. You can still see the escalators that went down to the basement today.
In 1959, Woolworth added a third story to the building. The original plans for the building had always included this third floor. The current owners, BPG, plan to fix up the upper floors. They also want to add two more stories to the building. These new floors will be used as apartments.
Where to Find It
The building is located at 9th and Market streets. This is a busy shopping area in downtown Wilmington. It's just one block away from Rodney Square, which is a well-known spot in the city.
Woolworth's used to have another store nearby. It was located at 504 Market Street, about four blocks away. That second location is now home to the Delaware History Museum.
