Murphy and Ames Business Records, 1908-1988.
(Realia)

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Center for Local History - Center For Local History, Archives
VA/ARCH RG 51
1 available

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LocationCall NumberStatus
Center for Local History - Center For Local History, ArchivesVA/ARCH RG 51Available

Description

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Format
Realia
Physical Desc
2 linear ft. + Photographs
Language
English

Notes

Organization & arrangement of materials
RG 51 is divided into four subgroups. The first three contain correspondence, photographs, and business records pertaining to the history of the company's business enterprises. The fourth subgroup details business and political relations between the Ames family and Northern Virginia communities and includes materials about the building of the Arlington Temple in Rosslyn. The first two subgroups are divided in to series by store. The third subgroup is divided into two series, business and personnel. The fourth subgroup is divided into series by topic.
Restrictions on Access
Please contact the Center for Local History in advance to view these materials. There are no research restrictions.
Description
The bulk of the record group focuses on the efforts of the company's second president W.P. Ames Sr. in taking the company from the embers of its lumber yard following a fire in 1951 to an enterprise encompassing four branches and the Ames Building, one of Rosslyn's first highrises. RG 51 contains blueprints, transcripts of zoning meetings, promotional radio ads, and photographs detailing family successes. Other types of material include correspndence, business records, newspaper clippings, newsletters, and films. A major portion of RG 51 documents relations between the store and the community. W.P. Ames was an influential member of the Arlington community. He served as the second president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce in 1928, lobbied successfully for the opening of Interstate Route 66, and was a leading force in the creation of the Arlington Temple, built on part of the company's orginial site in Rosslyn.
Biographical or Historical Data
RG 51 chronicles the growth of the Murphy & Ames hardware chain in Arlington, Virginia with particular attention focused on the relations between the Ames family and the community of Arlington. During Northern Virginia's housing boom in the 1950s and 1960s, Murphy & Ames complemented its supply of building essentials such as lumber and paint with the services of craftsmen experts in millwork. Following the fire in 1951, the company inaugurated two branches, one the rebuilt Rosslyn yard, the other one in Falls Church. The strong housing market along with the opening of I-66 enabled the company to build stores in Fairfax and Herndon. W.P. Ames decided to diversify in the 1960s, tearing down his flagship store in Rosslyn in order to open a ten story office building. The move precipitated the decline of residential growth in Rosslyn and led the way for rapid growth in office space during the following two decades.
Cumulative Index/Finding Aids
Finding aid is available in the library.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Murphy & Ames, I. Murphy and Ames Business Records .

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Murphy & Ames, Inc. Murphy and Ames Business Records. .

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Murphy & Ames, Inc. Murphy and Ames Business Records .

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Murphy & Ames, Inc. Murphy and Ames Business Records

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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