From Pharmacy to Fiber Market: Part 1 of 2.

Establishing Silk Road Textiles has been an enormous endeavor. Between mundane tasks (like getting a tax ID number) and the thrill of selecting a wonderful inventory, we have been keeping ourselves busy with the fun (and occasioanlly challenging) redecoration of our store space. We are very excited to be opening in the heart of the College Hill business district, but transforming the landmark Visconti-Lechler Pharmacy into a fiber market was no small task.

One of the things we love about our location is its rich local history. 6106 Hamilton Avenue was originally two stores – Hehman Pharmacy on the south side, and a dressmaker’s shop on the other. The dressmaker’s shop was purchased by Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Famer Ernie Lombardi on behalf of a girlfriend. When Gus and Irene Hehman were looking to leave the drug store business, the famous catcher passed the word to his friend Ralph Visconti. Visconti Sr. had worked for years as head of marketing for Sperti Drug Products. He left the company in 1948 to partner with Nick Kinney and establish two Visconti-Kinney drug stores: one in White Oak, and the other in College Hill.

Visconti-Kinney was locally famous for its soda fountain’s frosted glasses, which made drinks “extra-cold.” Ralph Visconti Jr. was the white-coated “soda jerk” behind the counter- a title bestowed not for an unpleasant personality but for the way the soda fountain handles were jerked forward to make the soda water spray. At Visconti-Kinney, ice cream cones were a nickel, double dips seven cents, and a soda was nineteen cents.

By 1951 the drug store was growing and the dress shop was going out of business (we’re left to assume the relationship between the famous ball player and local dressmaker was also unraveling), and Visconti-Kinney bought the building. In 1955, the dividing wall was removed; the size of the store and its exterior facade remain the same today. Visconti-Kinney filled the space with cosmetics, nylon stockings and notions. In 1966 a new partnership was formed, and Ralph Visconti Jr. and Joseph Lechler bought the pharmacy. The personal care and gift items sold in pharmacies had higher profit margins and less mess than soda fountains and tobacco counters, and in the early 1970s Visconti-Lechler’s soda fountain was replaced by an extensive greeting card selection.

Visconti-Lechler Pharmacy thrived in the face of competition from large chain stores for over forty years, providing outstanding customer service and a vast selection of merchandise to the College Hill and surrounding communities. When Ralph Visconti Jr. retired in 2008 and the pharmacy closed its doors, it was purchased by Dave and Sandy Schwartz of Schwartz Jewelers, who wanted to be sure the next business to occupy 6106 Hamilton Avenue would have the same community and customer service values as the historic pharmacy.

We at Silk Road Textiles are proud and excited to take up that legacy. Stay tuned for Part 2 to hear about the changes we’ve made to create a fiber shop that will inspire you!