Miller & Rhoads

Pennsylvanians Linton Miller, Webster Rhoads, and Simon Gerhart opened a dry goods shop several blocks west of here in 1885. Later known as Miller & Rhoads, the business moved here in 1888, became an upscale department store, and ultimately expanded to nearly half a million square feet of floor space. Miller & Rhoads, along with its friendly rival Thalhimers, anchored Richmond's retail district and drew shoppers from across the region. After African Americans picketed and boycotted downtown stores, Miller & Rhoads fully desegregated by 1961. The company opened more than 20 stores in Virginia and North Carolina before closing in 1990. This building reopened as a mixed-use facility in 2009.