The Frank R. Jelleff Co., or more commonly Jelleff's was a Washington, D.C.-based retailer that specialized in women's apparel.
 | |
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Fate | Liquidation |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Products | Women's apparel, shoes, accessories, and cosmetics. |
History
editJelleff's was founded March 1910, on F Street, N.W. in downtown Washington, D.C. Its founder, Frank R. Jelleff, founded the first Boy's Club in the Washington metropolitan area. area, and the club at 3265 S Street NW, just off Wisconsin Ave., is named in his honor. The company was family run until 1968, when a group headed by I. Lee Potter purchased the store from the founder's widow. Potter served as chairman until the company's closing in 1979. His father, Alan Potter, served as president.[1]
Flagship store
editThe flagship store was located at 1214–1220 F Street, NW, in the "F Street Mall." The store closed in early 1973.[2]
Branch stores
editJelleff's opened its first suburban location at the Shirlington Shopping Center in nearby suburban Virginia in December 1947, which closed November 1, 1972, but the 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) store reopened in 1973, as a discount general department store.[3]
Jelleff's also operated locations in Silver Spring, in Falls Church, the Springfield Mall, a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) store at Tysons Corner Center, and at 4472 Connecticut Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C. It operated a 3,800-square-foot (350 m2) store, known as the "Little Shop," from 1942 to 1969, at 6936 Wisconsin Avenue., in Bethesda, Maryland.[4][5]
A 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) store opened in the then-new Crystal City Underground in Crystal City, Virginia, in September 1976, In 1979, at the time of the chain's closing, it continued to operate independently as "Fifteen Thirty Five."[6] The Tysons Corner store closed in early 1979, followed in May by the Connecticut Avenue and Springfield Mall locations, then in June by Silver Spring.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Jelleff's Plans Expansion Under New Ownership," The Washington Post and Times-Herald Sep 8, 1968, p. F1.
- ^ "Jelleff's to Close Its F Street Mall, Shirlington Shops," by William H. Jones, The Washington Post and Times-Herald, Oct 25, 1972, p. D9.
- ^ "Jelleff Plans Discounting Operation," by Claudia Levy, The Washington Post and Times-Herald, Aug 22, 1973, pg. E3.
- ^ "Jelleff's Opens Shop in Bethesda," The Washington Post, Aug 9, 1942, p. R2.
- ^ "Jelleff's to Open Big Tysons Store," by S. Oliver Goodman, The Washington Post and Times-Herald, Feb 13, 1969, p. C9.
- ^ "Crystal Underground opens," by Pat Royse, The Washington Post, Sep 30, 1976, p. VA_14.
- ^ "Jelleff's Chain Going Out of Business Soon," by Jerry Knight, The Washington Post, May 8, 1979, p. D7.