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Virginia ABC's 75th Anniversary 1934 - 2009

Retrospective in Photos


Inspector William E. Payne, Virginia Department of Prohibition Enforcement

Inspector William E. Payne, Virginia Department of Prohibition Enforcement, who was shot and killed while trying to arrest a man for possessing whiskey on February 21, 1919.

Early ABC badge.
Early ABC badge.

Col. R. McCarthy Bullington Early ABC store circa 1930's

Col. R. McCarthy Bullington - first person appointed to the ABC Board, circa 1934.

Early ABC store circa 1930's.

Clerks standing behind ABC store counter.

Retail stores featured over-the-counter sales until a conversion to self-service stores began in 1969.

ABC special agents at a moonshine still bust.

ABC special agents at a moonshine still bust, ca. 1940.


CNB Building - First ABC Central Office

ABC's first Central Office occupied several floors of the historic Central National Bank (CNB) Building at 219 E. Broad Street in downtown Richmond. It was the tallest building in Richmond at that time.

ABC Central Office at 4th and Grace

In 1944, the ABC Central Office moved a few blocks away to 4th and Grace streets in downtown Richmond.


ABC Store 205 circa 1948
ABC Store 205 circa 1948.


ABC lab technician testing alcohol

The agency had its own laboratory to ensure uniformly high-quality merchandise.

Betty Wilson, first ABC female store clerk

ABC Store 294, Bailey's Crossroads, Fairfax County - In 1970, Betty Wilson became the first female clerk to work at an ABC store.

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