The Greenbelt Drug & Variety Store was adjacent to the Theatre. A co-op facility, it included a full-service pharmacy and luncheonette.
Photo from Library of Congress / Marion Post Wolcott
Above we see an advertisement for the Greenbelt "Dependable Service" Drug Store. This appeared in a January 1939 edition of the local newspaper. Note the reference to "C.C.C." (Civilian Conservation Corps) Camps.
Advert from The Greenbelt Cooperator / Library of Congress
Here we have a Greenbelt Drug Store ice cream promotion from June of 1939. The advert beckons one and all to ask the "fountaineer" for a "tall, foamy, frosty ice cream soda."
Advert from The Greenbelt Cooperator / Library of Congress
In this full-page Variety Store spread from September 1940, we see that men's sweat shirts are on sale for just 49 cents!
Advert from The Greenbelt Cooperator / Library of Congress
Although often advertised as two separate operations, the Drug & Variety stores at GREENBELT CENTER were housed in the same space for over 3 years. They were divided in January 1941, with a new -entirely separate- Variety Store created. However, the individual mercantiles were still promoted together, as this August 1942 advert attests. Note the alpha-numeric telephone number; Gr-2201. This GReenbelt exchange would have been dialed as "47-2201" (there were only six digits in a phone number at the time).
Advert from The Greenbelt Cooperator / Library of Congress
In this snapshot, and the two that follow, we see the Greenbelt Variety Store as it appeared in May 1942.
Photo from Library of Congress / Marjorie Collins
The Variety Store carried merchandise that would have been found at a standard Woolworth's or Newberry's 5 & 10, such as men's, women's and children's apparel, housewares and gardening supplies.
Photo from Library of Congress / Marjorie Collins
A Greenbelt housewife peruses a selection of Variety Store seed packets. "Greenbelters" were allowed to grow flowers and vegetables...but only in allotted space up against one's residence.
Photo from Library of Congress / Marjorie Collins