E. P. Charlton & Company
| File:Interior View of E. P. Charlton Co..jpg Interior of an E. P. Charlton & Company 5 and 10 cent store. Post card circa 1908 | |
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1890 in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founders | Earle Perry Charlton, Seymour H. Knox |
| Defunct | 1912 |
| Fate | Merged to become F.W. Woolworth Company |
E. P. Charlton & Company, also referred to as E. P. Charlton Company, E. P. Charlton, or simply Charlton's, was a U.S.-based chain of five and ten cent stores founded by Earle Perry Charlton. This chain eventually merged with several affiliated brands to form the F. W. Woolworth Company in 1912.
Founding and initial development
In 1890, Charlton partnered with Seymour H. Knox, a cousin of retailer Frank W. Woolworth, to launch a series of stores named "Knox & Charlton Five and Ten Cent Store." These stores were part of a cooperative network organized by Woolworth, which permitted competition among members provided they adhered to Woolworth’s operational guidelines. The inaugural store began operations on February 22, 1890, in Fall River, Massachusetts. Between 1892 and 1895, three additional outlets were established in Hartford, New Britain, Connecticut, and Lowell, Massachusetts.[1]
By 1896, the partners decided to divide their ventures; Knox took ownership of the Lowell location while Charlton retained the other three stores. By 1899, Charlton had expanded his portfolio by adding nine new stores across New England, including sites in Hartford, Danbury, Meriden, Connecticut, Brockton, Fitchburg, Gloucester, Lawrence, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Lewiston, Maine. However, recognizing that further growth within New England might result in direct rivalry with other Woolworth syndicate members, Charlton opted to sell these new establishments to Frank Woolworth and used the proceeds to fund several Canadian store openings.[1]
Growth across Canada and western United States
Over subsequent years, Charlton inaugurated three stores in Montreal and one in Ottawa, followed by eight additional outlets situated west of the Rocky Mountains that introduced a broader pricing range including five, ten, and fifteen cent items. Beginning in 1905, new stores emerged in Los Angeles and San Francisco, along with four more locations across California as well as establishments in Tacoma, Washington and Sherbrooke, Quebec.[1]
In 1908, the company relocated its headquarters to a newly constructed building on South Main Street in Fall River near the original store site. Known as the "Charlton Block," this facility featured electric lighting and mahogany counters reminiscent of those preferred by Knox and Woolworth. The chain continued its western expansion with additional stores opening in Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah, as well as in Butte, Montana. Merchandise was supplied by Woolworth and proved popular due to its low fixed prices. By 1911, the highest grossing outlet was located on South Broadway in Los Angeles with annual revenues of $370,000; six other outlets each generated over $150,000.[1]
Consolidation with Woolworth
By 1912, E. P. Charlton & Company had expanded to operate fifty-eight outlets across both the United States and Canada. That same year, Frank Woolworth convinced the other partners in his syndicate to merge their businesses into the F. W. Woolworth Company. Frank, who controlled more stores than all five partners combined, assumed the role of president of the newly formed corporation, while the others took on positions as directors and vice presidents. S. H. Knox & Co. contributed ninety-eight U.S. locations and thirteen Canadian ones; Fred M. Kirby, a longtime associate of Woolworth dating back to the 1880s, brought in ninety-six stores; Frank’s brother, Charles Sumner Woolworth, added fifteen stores; and William Moore, whose establishments had originally helped launch Frank and Charles into retail, contributed two stores. The inclusion of Charlton’s western properties provided F. W. Woolworth with a truly national footprint across both countries. Charlton himself was appointed senior vice president and earned $6,500,000 from the merger.
Following the unification of these six brands under the Woolworth banner, F. W. Woolworth & Company managed a total of five hundred ninety-six stores, headquartered in the newly erected Woolworth Building located in New York. The enterprise flourished throughout much of the twentieth century until rising competition within the discount retail sector prompted a strategic shift toward specialty brands. Throughout the 1990s, stores bearing the Woolworth name were gradually shuttered as the company concentrated its efforts on athletic wear, particularly through its Foot Locker chain. By 1997, all remaining Woolworth outlets had closed as the corporation rebranded first as Venator and subsequently as Foot Locker, Inc.
Legacy
Despite the disappearance of the E. P. Charlton brand from retail following the establishment of F. W. Woolworth & Company, the Fall River Woolworth’s location continued to display its distinctive "E. P. Charlton Company" signage prominently until 1970. Earle Charlton dedicated considerable effort to managing the Charlton Mill—a manufacturing facility he constructed in Fall River in 1909—which remained operational until the 1950s. Upon his death in 1930, Charlton bequeathed a substantial sum to the Charlton Trust, an organization that supported charitable causes within the Fall River community; today his legacy is honored by the Charlton Memorial Hospital.
