Lord & Taylor arrived in Chevy Chase in D.C. more than 60 years ago, the first New York retailer to establish a presence in this area. The Rockville Pike store was the sole survivor of White Flint Mall, carrying on for five years after the wrecking ball took down all its neighbors. But in 2020 the iconic department store chain announced it would go out of business, meaning the end for the two local stores. Bankruptcy proceedings began in August, barely a year after new owners had taken the reins with ambitious plans to reinvigorate the brand.
So what other beloved stores did we lose in 2020? Toy Castle, the Potomac shop where generations of busy parents popped in with a gift list and dashed out with an armful of expertly chosen, perfectly wrapped presents. Sylene, the Chevy Chase lingerie and swimwear boutique that had a 45-year run serving the likes of Nancy Reagan, Aretha Franklin and Connie Chung. And the Montgomery County Thrift Shop, a Bethesda institution for more than 75 years with low-cost merchandise and generous donations to charities.
