The King Street F.W. Woolworth Department Store was one in a chain of stores named for their founder Frank Winfield Woolworth. The first Woolworth Department store opened in 1879 in Utica, New York. Soon after its opening, the store failed. Another Woolworth Store was later opened in Lancaster; Pennsylvania and was a great success. The first purchase made, a five-cent fire shovel, gave birth to the "five and dime" motto that would remain characteristic of the store until its closing.

As a retailer and businessman, Frank Winifield Woolworth established precedents that continue today. He was the first mass merchant to buy direct from the manufacturer, and to introduce and establish fixed prices at a time when bargaining was the common practice. He was also of the first retailers to place merchandise on counters allowing for customer-purchase interaction.

The first F.W. Woolworth Store to open in Canada was on April 30, 1879, by H.S. Knox of Toronto. Soon after, E.P. Charleton opened a store in Montreal and five years later in 1902, the first Hamilton Woolworth store was opened on King Street. There were "lots of bargains and lots of products – from toilet paper to cream pies to parakeets", as period advertisements claimed. The store was to remain in this location for only ten years when the firm decided that larger facilities were needed. The company then moved to a three-storey building where they were to remain for almost 35 years.

In March 1947, a fire started in the basement of the store and by the end, had completely destroyed the F.W. Woolworth Building and all its contents. As stated by Fire Chief Murdoch: "In a building of this type three storeys high and each floor from 75 to 100 feet wide with no partitions, it is only a matter of minutes until an intense heat is generated and then there is a flash flame which sweeps everything before it" (Spectator, May 25, 1947). Sixteen hours after the fire was discovered, fire crews continued to work against the smoldering timbers. The three-storey building made of structural steel and reinforced concrete was destroyed. The foundation of the Right House suffered damage, the basement was flooded with nearly five feet of water, and every floor suffered smoke damage. Other businesses to suffer smoke and water damage included: Bowle’s Lunch, Loblaw Groceteria, Tamblyn’s Drug Store, and Northway’s Stores.

In 1948, a new building, located on the north side of King Street between James and Hughson Streets was erected. The estimated cost of the new Woolworth’s was $750,000. The company took a forty-year lease on the building. The new location had a frontage of approximately 74 feet which was considerably larger than the previous frontage of 56 feet. The new store was also to extend over the frontage of the former Bowle’s Lunch. Air conditioning and modern escalators were added. The basement and main floor were used for retail purposes while the sub-basement housed the heating and storage areas. The store also increased and varied their stock.

By 1961, F.W. Woolworth Co. had become a major downtown property owner. The company had negotiated with the Mills Bros. Ltd., a family owned real estate and investment corporation, which had large holdings in the core of the city for generations. The Mills Bros. Ltd. transferred their three-storey building and land to the Woolworth Company thereby increasing their frontage to 110 feet opposite Gore Park. By 1961, there were four Woolworth Stores in Hamilton: one on Ottawa Street, one on King Street and two mountain locations.

In 1966, the store spent nearly $450,000 on renovations. The former window displays were to be replaced by large windows providing a panoramic view of the interior. There was new lighting, new display counters, larger aisles and a freshly painted interior. Pastel shades (light blues, beiges, pinks, and greens) coloured the walls and the east wall of the store was decorated with volcanic rock imported from Hawaii.

At its peak, the store had a staff of 300 employees, predominantly women, a bakery, and a lunch counter that stretched down one side and along the back. The restaurant featured a menu consisting of everything from light snacks to full course meals.

In 1990, a firm headed by Toronto lawyers purchased the store which was then leased back to the Woolworth Corporation until its closure that same year.

REFERENCES:
Baxter Scrapbook of Clippings. Vol. 6. Special Collections. HPL.
Bloom Scrapbook, Vol. 2.  Special Collections. HPL.
Bloom Scrapbook, Vol. 5.  Special Collections. HPL.
Clipping File – Department Stores – F.W. Woolworth. Special Collections. HPL.
Fires in Hamilton Scrapbook. Vol. 1.  Special Collections. HPL.
Fires in Hamilton Scrapbook. Vol. 2.  Special Collections. HPL.
Fires in Hamilton Scrapbook. Vol. 5. Special Collections. HPL.
Hamilton – Store Hours Scrapbook. Vol. 1.  Special Collections. HPL.
King Street Scrapbook. Vol. 1.  Special Collections. HPL.
LACAC Research Files.  Planning Department, City Hall.