Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop
Encyclopedia
The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop/Museum is a historic apothecary
's shop in Alexandria, Virginia
that has been preserved as a museum. During its working life, the drug company was owned by generations of a Quaker family.
was in the store when he received the orders to put down John Brown's raid in 1859.
John's son Edward took over the shop when John died in 1860. The Union-supporting family nearly lost the enterprise to the Confederates
. Shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run
, victorious but exhausted Union
soldiers sought comfort from the store's merchandise.
In the early 20th Century, the drug store's business was good. Deliveries were made to several states, and there was a lucrative wholesale business.
put the Leadbeater Drug Co., now the oldest pharmacy
in the United States out of business, but the Landmarks Society of Alexandria recognized the history of the establishment and purchased it. It reopened as a museum in 1932. In 2004, the museum was closed for renovations, and when it was reopened in 2006, it was donated to the City of Alexandria.
gothic revival furnishing. After an in-depth restoration in 2006 by The City of Alexandria, the second floor is now included on tours of the museum. The second floor contains a former warehouse room currently used for events, and a manufacturing room, where medicines were made for retail and wholesale. Like the historic retail space on the main floor of the museum, the manufacturing room is practically untouched since 1933.
The museum offers daily tours for individuals and families, and group tours by appointment. Tours are not free, due to ongoing cost associated with maintaining and operating the museum. The museum's hours vary depending on the season, closing on certain days during the winter.
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
's shop in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
that has been preserved as a museum. During its working life, the drug company was owned by generations of a Quaker family.
History
The shop has a long history with several phases. Originally founded by Edward Stabler in 1792, the business was passed down to his descendants until its closing in 1933. Shortly after it closed, the buildings were purchased by the Landmark Society who opened the old apothecary as a museum in 1939. In 2006, the museum was donated to the City of Alexandria. The museum is now managed by the City's Office of Historic Alexandria.Edward Stabler
Edward Stabler, apothecary, founded the shop in 1792 at the corner of King and Fairfax Streets. In 1796, he moved his operation to 107 S. Fairfax. Edward's son, William Stabler, took over the management of the shop in 1819.William Stabler
William Stabler inherited the business upon the death of Edward in 1831. In 1845, he purchased a warehouse.John Leadbeater
John Leadbeater, William Stabler's brother-in-law, took over the business in 1852 upon the death of Stabler. There is a legend that Robert E. LeeRobert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
was in the store when he received the orders to put down John Brown's raid in 1859.
E.S. Leadbeater
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. Shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
, victorious but exhausted Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
soldiers sought comfort from the store's merchandise.
In the early 20th Century, the drug store's business was good. Deliveries were made to several states, and there was a lucrative wholesale business.
Preservation
The tough times of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
put the Leadbeater Drug Co., now the oldest pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
in the United States out of business, but the Landmarks Society of Alexandria recognized the history of the establishment and purchased it. It reopened as a museum in 1932. In 2004, the museum was closed for renovations, and when it was reopened in 2006, it was donated to the City of Alexandria.
Current museum
The museum displays thousands of artifacts, precisely on the shelves where they were when the store closed. The store also still features antebellumAntebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
gothic revival furnishing. After an in-depth restoration in 2006 by The City of Alexandria, the second floor is now included on tours of the museum. The second floor contains a former warehouse room currently used for events, and a manufacturing room, where medicines were made for retail and wholesale. Like the historic retail space on the main floor of the museum, the manufacturing room is practically untouched since 1933.
The museum offers daily tours for individuals and families, and group tours by appointment. Tours are not free, due to ongoing cost associated with maintaining and operating the museum. The museum's hours vary depending on the season, closing on certain days during the winter.
Famous customers
- Elisha C. DickElisha C. DickElisha Cullen Dick, M.D. was a mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, and attending physician at George Washington's death.- Family :...
, George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's doctor, during Washington's terminal illness - Martha WashingtonMartha WashingtonMartha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
(1802) - James MonroeJames MonroeJames Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
- Eleanor Parke Custis LewisEleanor Parke Custis LewisEleanor Parke Custis Lewis , known as Nelly, was the granddaughter of Martha Washington and the step-granddaughter of George Washington.-Childhood:Nelly was the daughter of John Parke Custis and Eleanor Calvert Custis...
- Robert E. LeeRobert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
(bought paint for the Arlington HouseArlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialArlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion, is a Greek revival style mansion located in Arlington, Virginia, USA that was once the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It overlooks the Potomac River, directly across from the National Mall in Washington,...
)