Woolworth is the family name of two American businessmen who were brothers.
Frank Winfield Woolworth
(1852-1919) was the principal founder in 1912 of the F. W. Woolworth Company, a chain of five-and-ten-cent stores. When he died, the chain had more than 1,000 stores. In 1913, he built the Woolworth Building in New York City. It was the tallest building in the world at that time.
Woolworth was born on April 13, 1852, in Rodman, New York, and he clerked in the village grocery store there. In 1878, while working for the firm of Moore & Smith in Watertown, New York, he suggested putting slow-moving goods on a counter and selling them for 5 cents. The venture was so successful that it was continued with new goods. Six store chains grew out of the 5-cent counter experiment. All of the chains were united in 1912 to form the F. W. Woolworth Company. He died on Aug. 8, 1919.
Charles S. Woolworth
(1856-1947) was cofounder of the F. W. Woolworth Company. He served as vice president until 1919 and as chairman of the board until 1944, when he retired. He was born on Aug. 1, 1856, in Rodman, New York. Woolworth founded 15 stores, which he and his brother united with 581 other stores in 1912 to form the F. W. Woolworth Company. He died on Jan. 7, 1947.
