Rhodes Brothers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Founder | Albert Rhodes, William Rhodes, Henry Rhodes, Charles Rhodes |
| Headquarters | Tacoma, Washington , United States |
| Products | Department store goods |
Rhodes Brothers was a prominent department store based in Tacoma, Washington, originally founded in 1892 as a coffee establishment by Albert, William, Henry, and Charles Rhodes in downtown Tacoma. Transitioning to retail, the brothers launched their department store in 1903 within the newly constructed Snell Building at Broadway and 11th Street, situated in Tacoma’s central shopping district. The business flourished, leading to the addition of three floors by 1911, expanding the store to 170,000 ft² (15793.52m²), which included amenities such as a tea room (introduced in 1908) and a branch of the Tacoma Public Library.
By 1920, expanding customer demand necessitated acquiring multiple buildings across Court C alley, which were linked to the primary store via a sky bridge. Further expansions featured a discount annex added in 1935, a dedicated men’s shop established in 1937, and a specialized vault capable of storing 5,000 coats. The company ventured into suburban retail by opening its first branch at the Villa Plaza Shopping Center in Lakewood, Washington in 1957. Additionally, Rhodes operated a department store at University Village in Seattle during the 1960s. At one point, highway signs throughout Washington read "All roads lead to Rhodes," indicating distances to the flagship Tacoma location.
In the early 1950s, Rhodes was purchased by Western Department Stores, Inc., which also owned Kahn's in Oakland, California and Olds & King in Portland. Western adopted the Rhodes name, rebranding as Rhodes Western, and by 1960 consolidated all its stores under the Rhodes banner. In 1969, Amfac—the owner of the Liberty House department store chain—acquired Rhodes Western and rebranded it as Liberty House. Liberty House launched a store within Tacoma Mall in 1973; this location had been under consideration by Rhodes Western prior to acquisition. The original downtown Tacoma Rhodes store ceased operations in December 1974. Later, in 1979, the Lakewood and Tacoma Mall outlets were sold to Frederick & Nelson.
Facing potential demolition, the downtown Tacoma building was purchased in 1978 by the University of Puget Sound, which remodeled it for use as a law school. After the university vacated the premises in 1999, ownership transferred to the State of Washington, which undertook further renovations completed in 2001. Currently known as the Rhodes Center, this historic structure remains largely unoccupied as of December 2024, offering rentable conference facilities alongside several state offices and a law firm.
Rhodes Seattle
In 1907, Albert Rhodes parted ways with Rhodes Brothers and relocated to Seattle, where he founded the Rhodes Department Store. By 1926, this establishment had become a prominent fixture at the intersection of Second Avenue and Union Street within the downtown shopping district. The store had expanded to include multiple suburban locations by that time. In 1968, the Pay 'n Save corporation acquired the business, subsequently closing the downtown location and rebranding the remaining outlets under a new name: Lamonts. (Additional details can be found on the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods website, Seattle.gov, which also features information about the Albert J. Rhodes residence designed by Ambrose J. Russell and Frederick Heath.)