Swanson's Pharmacy


Company Names, addresses, dates: 1
  Swanson Drug Co, 736 Halifax Street, Petersburg VA (1920-1924)
  Swanson's Pharmacy, 719 High, Petersburg VA (1933-1959)

Notes:
 Petersburg had 2 drugstores with the name "Swanson", and they seem to be unrelated.

Swanson Drug Company
Hugh Swanson (1883-1954)2 was listed as a drug clerk at the Sixth Ward Pharmacy in the Petersburg Directory from 1915, and as the manager of that company in the 1917 & 1918 directories. From 1920 to 1924 he was listed as the owner of the Swanson Drug Company. He doesn't show up in Petersburg directories in subsequent years, so it appears he moved away. 1

Swanson's Pharmacy
James Francis "Frank" Swanson (1891-1968)3 was listed as a druggist living in Norfolk in the 1930 US Census.
By 1933 he had moved to Petersburg and started the Swanson's Pharmacy at 719 High Street, which was at the corner of High and Canal Streets. He stayed at that address until at least 1959 (I don't have access to any Petersburg city directories after that year).

In 1957, when he was 66 years old, 2 men tried to hold up Frank's store. He "slapped away a gun one of them held in his face, and threw a jar of cold cream at them". The men ran out of the store without taking anything.4


Bottles:
swanson_01 This is a clear, machine-made 4.1" bottle with a label:
label: SWANSON'S PHARMACY / TELEPHONE 1881 / Cor. High & Canal Sts., Reg. No. 7288 PETERSBURG, VA. / ... Elixer Terpin Hydate with / Codeine. 60c



Other Items:
swanson_02 This is a the building at the 719 High Street in Petersburg VA from Google. The image was captured May 2024.


1 Petersburg VA city directories for years: 1866,70,72,76-77,79,82,86,88,91,93,95,97,99,1901,03,05,07,09,11,13,15,17-18,20-22,24,27,29,31,33,35,37,39,41,43,48,50,52,54-55,57,59
2 Find-a-grave entry for Hugh C. Swanson
3 Find-a-grave entry for James Francis Swanson
4 Richmond Times-Dispatch, 21-Sep-1957, p.3 ("Drugist Repels Holdup Attempt in Petersburg")


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This page last updated on July 10, 2026.