Bartell Drugs name now gone from downtown Seattle

The final remaining Bartell Drugs location in downtown Seattle at 5^th Avenue and Olive Way closed permanently on Thursday. Saturday morning, a crew from National Sign Company was busily removing signage and covering up the “BARTELL DRUGS” name on the exterior of the building; later, they planned to remove a neon sign from the interior wall above the pharmacy.

With the closure of this location, it’s believed the “BARTELL DRUGS” name is gone from the streets of downtown Seattle for the first time since 1890. The Bartell family sold the company to RiteAid in 2020.

Before the closures: Will anything change when Bartell Drugs isn’t local anymore?

Photos by Feliks Banel

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