Riverview Pharmacy Inc.


Company Names, addresses, dates: 1
  Riverview Pharmacy, 3819 Granby Street, Norfolk VA (1930-1940) 1,2
  Riverview Pharmacy, 3809 Granby Street, Norfolk VA (1942-1949)
  Riverview Pharmacy, 3901 Granby Street, Norfolk VA (1950-1974) 1,3

Notes:
The Riverview Pharmacy was located in the Riverview historic district of Norfolk, which is presumably where the name came from. It's original location was listed in newspaper ads as "Granby and Pennsylvania Avenue", but the city directories listed it as "3819 Granby Street". The earliest newspaper mention of the pharmacy that I could find came in December of 19302.

I don't know who started the pharmacy originally, but Mountie Vernon Koontz (1895-1932)4 was the proprietor in 1932. He had worked for various other Norfolk drugstores in previous years. 1.
Unfortunately, Koontz drowned in a boating accident in July of 1932. 5

In later years, Simon Salsbury (1880-1955)6 was listed as the proprietor.1
In the 1949/1950 timeframe, the store moved. Newspaper ads referred to the new location as Granby & 39th Streets", whereas the city directories referred to it as "3901 Granby Street".

Salsbury and the pharmacy received several fines in 1954. Charges included unauthorized refilling of prescriptions, practicing pharmacy illegally, and operating a pharmacy without proper supervision.7

After Salsbury passed away, his son, Nathan S. Salsbury (1900-1974)8, took over the company.1
After Nathan passed away in 1974, the store was sold at auction.3


Bottles:
riverview_01 This is an amber 5" machine-made bottle with label:
label: AROM. CASCARA SAGRADA / ALCOHOL 20 PER CENT / DOSE: FROM 15 DROPS TO 1/2 TEASPOONFUL 3 TIMES A DAY / (picture of mortar & pestle with 'PURE DRUGS PROMPT SERVICE' on it) / RIVERVIEW PHARMACY, INC. / 39TH & GRANBY STREETS / NORFOLK, VA.


1 Norfolk City directories, 1900-20,22-25,27-28,30,33-35,38-40,42,44,46-47,49,51-52,56,58,60
2 Virginian-Pilot, 25-Dec-1930, p.28 (earliest mention I found of the Riverview Pharmacy in Norfolk)
3 Virginian-Pilot, 10-Oct-1974, p.47 (Action Sale! Attention!)
4 Find-a-grave entry for Mountie Vernon Koontz
5 Virginian-Pilot, 5-Jul-1932, p.1 (Article: "Single Drowning and series of Miraulous escapes..")
6 Find-a-grave entry for Simon Salsbury.
7 Virginian-Pilot, 18-Aug-1954, p.31 (Article: "2 Drug Stores Penalized for Unlawful Acts")
8 Find-a-grave entry for Nathan S. Salsbury.


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This page last updated on March 11, 2026.