Goolrick's Pharmacy To Undergo Renovations Under New Ownership

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Goolrick's Pharmacy in downtown Fredericksburg has a new owner. Jarrell Properties Inc. finalized the purchase of the building on Monday.

The new owners said they plan to undertake major renovations "to restore its historic character." Jarrell Properties also said they would preserve the building's soda fountain.

Goolrick's is a landmark on Caroline Street. The building is home to the longest continually operating soda fountain in America, according to its new owners.

James "Jay" Jarrell III, the president of Jarrell Properties, was born and raised in Fredericksburg.

"I often stopped by for their vanilla shakes – awesome," Jarrell said in a news release. "During high school, I worked on a construction job downtown, and I had two egg salad and bacon sandwiches on white toast for lunch almost every day that summer."

Jarrell Properties is a family business. Now, the business is run by Jarrell's children: James Jarrell IV and Jewels Jarrell Stover.

The Goolrick's Pharmacy building is in rough shape, according to the Jarrells. The property has seen years of heavy use, flooding, and has evidence of fire damage.

The Jarrell Properties team said they are looking forward to restoring the building to its former glory, so it can serve future generations of Fredericksburg residents.

In a news release, Jarrell Properties said they would renovate the entire building, expand the dining space, restore the lunch counter, and renovate the living space on the second floor. The new owners have no plans to reopen the pharmacy, which was closed by the previous owner.

The Jarrells are now looking for someone to manage and operate the soda fountain. They also said they would like to bring back original sandwich recipes and classic favorites like thick milkshakes, hot fudge sundaes, and macaroni salads.

Live updates about the renovations will be posted to the Goolrick's website.