The Center Drug Co
Company Names, addresses, dates:
  The Center Drug Co, 101 N. Main Street, Blacksburg VA
Notes:
Dr. Phillip Dow Hale (1892-1941)1 came to Blacksburg in 1915, working
as a Pharmacist. He eventually started his own drug store.2
From comparing the view on the postcards below to modern views, it appears his store
was at 101 N. Main Street.
The 1920 Census lists Hale as working in a Pharmacy in Blacksburg, whereas the 1930 and
1940 Census lists him as owning a pharmacy in Blacksburg. The only drugstores in Blacksburg
that I know of circa 1920 are the "Wm. C. Ellett Drug Co" and the "Mutual Pharmacy", so it
seems likely that Hale worked at one of those drug stores.
The earliest mention of the Center Drug Store that I could find was in the April-1927
edition of "The Virginia Druggist", so Hale started that store on-or-before that year.
I see newspaper ads for the Center Drug Store long after Hale passed away. The latest
one I saw was from 1958, so the store lasted until on-or-after that year.
Bottles:
|
Clear 4.2" bottle with label:
label: CAMPHORATED OIL / ... / THE CENTER DRUG CO / BLACKSBURG, / VIRGINIA
|
|
Clear 4.2" bottle with label:
label: THE CENTER DRUG CO / BLACKSBURG, / VIRGINIA / Oil of Citronilla
|
Other Items:
|
This black & white postcard says "Street scene - Blacksburg, Va." on the front. The brick
builing on the left has a sign that says "CENTER / DRUGS / PRESCRIPTIONS".
Based on the cars in the photo, I'd guess it's from the 1940s.
|
|
This was taken from Google in August 2020, showing roughly the same view down Main Sreet at cross
street Roanoke Street.
|
|
This postcard says "Main Street Looking North, Blacksburg, Va.". The red brick builing
on the left has a sign that says "CENTER DRUG CO / DRUGS / SANDWICHES".
The card is postmarked 1947.
|
|
This card may be an ink blotter. It says:
WELCOME / TO / Center Drug Company, / BLACKSBURG'S OLDEST DRUG STORE / P.D. HALE, PHG, PRES.
T.F. WORTHAM, PHG, SECT'Y & TREAS. / The HOME of FUDGE SUNDAES, made with Ice Cream we make ourselves
|
1 Find-a-grave for Philip Dow Hale
2 Richmond Times Dispatch, 18-Jan-1941, page 20 (obituary for Dr. P.D. Hale)
Back to my drugtstore bottle home page.
This page last updated on August 7, 2020.