Bates Family Home

Today the old family home is now home to a men's clothing store.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Northern Virginia History Notes website:

Depression-Era Teacher Lodging Cabins
Annandale, Virginia

Written by Debbie Robison
December 19, 2012

In the heart of Annandale, Virginia there is a shop located on Little River Turnpike that was formerly the home of Martin and Anna Bates. Martin Bates worked as the janitor of the Annandale School. He and his wife constructed cabins on their property that provided lodging for teachers who also worked at the school.

The property was part of the subdivision of J. G. Dunn. A 1926 plat depicts a dwelling house and barn on the parcel that the Bates purchased. They also purchased the land shown as lot 5 and parts of lots 6 and 7.

By 1937, a new home was constructed on the corner of Little River Turnpike and what is now known as Backlick Road. (The small section of road north of Little River Turnpike was formerly known as Springfield Road.)

Mr. and Mrs. Bates provided lodging for teachers during the Depression. Census records indicate that teachers were lodging with the Bates by 1935. That year, teachers at the Annandale School typically earned $90 per month. The principal, Mrs. J. N. Howdershell, earned $115 per month.

Five lodgers were living on the Bates property in 1940, all of them public school teachers. The teachers presumably lived in the small cabins situated east of the house. Over time, the Bates constructed additional cabins. Martin Bates obtained a building permit to construct a two-room cabin in 1940 and the following year Anna Bates obtained a building permit for two more cabins.

The cabins were conveniently located within walking distance of Annandale School. The cabins dot the landscape east of the dwelling in a somewhat oval pattern.

The Bates family sold the property to Roberts Incorporated in 1952. Oral history asserts that one of the cabins was relocated nearby. The size of the building, roof configuration, and construction style suggests that this may be true.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Patch newspaper:

Francis & Murphy Men's Clothing Store Completes Remodel
The store, which is also under new ownership, has been open in Annandale for more than 30 years.

Sherell Williams,
Patch Staff
Posted Tue, Oct 9, 2012

After about six weeks of construction, Annandale men’s clothing store Francis & Murphy, formerly Francis & Chase, is ready to show off its new look to customers old and new.

“Anyone who was in that store back in July would not recognize it now,” said Dr. Lawrence Murphy, a pediatrician whose practice is located in nearby Burke. Murphy is the new co-owner of the store. Paul Francis runs the day-to-day operations of the store and is also in charge of alterations. Francis previously ran and co-owned the store with his two brothers.

The store opened in Annandale in 1975 and has been operational for more than 30 years, but this is the first time they’ve undergone a complete remodel. Construction started back in August and has only just finished. The interior of the store now has polished wood flooring, a sitting space and a mounted TV on the wall.

“The goal was to make the place more inviting for residents,” said Murphy.

The changes to the exterior are likely most noticeable to Annandale residents driving or walking near the intersection of Backlick Road and Little River Turnpike. Bright blue paint now accents the house in which the store operates. Previously, photos were visible in the windows of the stores, but now there are mannequins which Murphy said will be rotated every 30 days.

Hours at the store have also changed. Previously, they were closed on Sundays, but are now open from noon to 5 p.m. Murphy said the decision has been positive; Sundays now account for regular traffic to the store.

New Name, Same Business:
Francis & Murphy sells a variety of suits from brand name designers such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors to name a few.

“Our store represents value. We don’t have those huge overheads found at Tysons 2, but we have the same designer stuff. People get value for their dollars here,” said Murphy.

The store sells designer suits including shirts, sweaters, ties, belts, cufflinks, cologne and more. While the store does not sell women’s clothing, they can do alterations for women’s suits, dresses and pants.

Customers who are still worried about price can visit the clearance center of suits downstairs where the same designers suits and items that don’t meet the store’s selling expectations can be found at discounted prices.

“We sell suits for less without compromising quality and you get quality, personal service as well,” said Murphy.

For more information about Francis & Murphy, visit their new website www.francisandmurphy.com.