Business Pictures
Business Pictures of W. J. Baumbach Plumbing and Heating, Baumbach Plumbing from 1928 through -
Business Pictures of W. J. Baumbach Plumbing and Heating
Baumbach_Shop.jpgPostcard Baumbach Plumber Office
4147 Wilson Blvd Arlington Virginia
W. J. Baumbach Inc had U.S. Postcards made with the picture on the front showing his two story office and showroom.
postcard.jpgFirst plumbing shop 1929
I have shared with you my fathers two-story plumbing shop with a showroom that was at 4147 Wilson Blvd Arlington, Va.
Now this might surprise you, remember my father started his business in 1928, and in 1929 this was the house he lived in, and had his plumbing shop in the back building shed.
This is at 4439 1//2 (half) North 15th St. Arlington, Va. When I came around in the 1960’s he had built a large house right in front of this one, at the same address 4439 North 15th St. Arlington, Va. So the small house in the back became 4439 ½ (half).
We had bb, pellet, and real guns as kids back then (1960’s) my brother and I would shoot in the yard at targets, we also used to shoot inside this old house. Heck they even had gun classes in public schools.
EDIT: Had to add a picture of what the two two-story plumbing shop with a showroom at 4147 Wilson Blvd looked like in the 1970's right after he sold it.
Baumbach Showroom Decorated for Christmas
4147 Wilson Blvd Arlington Virginia
To support the weight of the heavy cast-iron bathtubs and sinks, the floors on the second level of the showroom were two foot thick concrete.
At Christmas time, Baumbachs put a bow around the water heater in the display window.
From W&L Yearbook
Office old picture taken from W&L Washington and Lee High School yearbook in Arlington Virginia from 1941.
I think this is an old picture of the big office at 4147 Wilson Blvd Arlington Virginia
Baumbach_Bld_from_WL_Book.jpgPlumbing Showroom Parade Floats
These are Plumbing Showroom Parade Floats that Baumbach Plumbing used in Washington, D.C. parades, and other parades.
They showed what "NO SANITAION" plumbing in 1846 looked like, compared to 100 years later, what the current 1946 year "MODERN SANITAION" plumbing looks like.
The idea was Baumbachs could remodel your bathroom and made it look modern.
I am guessing the modern float has a bathroom on each side, otherwise only parade spectators on one side of the street would see it.
I do not see any plastic pipe in these pictures :-)
Plumbing Truck Pictures
Baumbach Plumbing Shop and Showroom
4147 Wilson Blvd Arlington Virginia
Other Plumbing Offices
I am not sure of the location of these other Baumbach Plumbing Offices.
The unknown woman used to work for Baumbach's
At some point, the phone number ended up with Homeowners Plumbing in Fairfax, 8451 Hilltop Rd, and before that located at Fairfax Circle.
Unknown Plumbing shop of Baumbach The phone number of 273-8900 now belongs to Homeowners Plumber in Fairfax. As of 09/19/2023 the phone number 703-273-8900 transfers to an automatic system that says they found four similar businesses push # to be connected to one of them.
Names of plumbers in the picture
1: Lail
2: Frank Allnutt
3: Sam Skibblie
4: Charlies
5: Tylor
6: Don
7: John
8: Don
9: Nick Nicholson of R R Nicholson Plumbing Inc. left the Baumbach company in the early 1970s to go in business for himself.
10: Francis
11: Ray Commer use to work for McGonegal's in Falls Church. and now as of 03-15-97 worked for Gary Eldridge of Homeowners Plumbing in Merrifield Virginia.
12: Larry
Plumbers from the 1950's pictures
Total of 12 plumbers
baumbach0027.jpgToo bad the flash covered up Lillian's face
PLUMBERS19502.jpgNick Nicholson of R R Nicholson Plumbing Inc
Add information about Nick
Boiler manifold invention
This Boiler manifold was created by W. J. Baumbach to accommodate the steal mix type of pipe that was used during the copper shortage of WWW-2. this boiler & pipe was installed in thousands of homes in Arlington, VA. Bryant gas boiler with a By-Flex / By-Metal type gas valve. No circulating pumps were used. 1940-50's
boiler.jpgMan from Australia trained by Baumbach
This man standing beside W. J. Baumbach was from Australia. Sent to the National Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association to be trained in merchandising & other methods of the business. W. J. Baumbach Inc. was selected as the most qualified. 1940-'s-1950's
austra.jpgGas stove cooking demostration in showroom
Mrs. Washington cooking in W. J. Baumbachs showroom to demonstrate how the new modern gas stove worked. Behind her sits a few dozen men & women. This was common to have live cooking demonstrations in Baumbachs showroom, sponsored by the Washington Gas Company. 1940's - 1950's
cooking.jpgGarbage Disposers in ACTION
try it yourself. Normal installed $139.00. Complete with running water and see through drain pipe
disp.jpgFixzit System Franchise
W.J. Baumbach, INC the phone number JA 4-1250 is 524-1250 we now add the area code 703
FIXZIT SYSTEM franchise truck #28 1940-50's
fixittrk.jpgPlumbing Car
1940's?
The business logo at this time was a triangle
Note the phone number CHestnut 3909
baumbach0004.jpgOld company logo Triangle
W. J. Baumbach, Inc.
Phone number CHestnut - 3909
Virginia, Washington, Maryland
The business logo at this time was a triangle
baumbach II0016.jpgOpen House New Self-Service Center
Evening Star D.C. December 04, 1958
See out new "Serve Your-Self Center" the finest in the East. There's a free work bench and tools for your convenience.
Open House Evening star 1958-12-04.jpgFREE Use of Tools & Work Bench Charitable Fundraiser
This was a charitable fundraiser the Baumbach Plumbing did for both the Anderson Clinic, and the Arlington House.
The use of the tools, faucet screws and washers were FREE, but you had to pay the the other plumbing parts.
This was a good way to get homeowners in to your showroom so they would see all the new modern plumbing items, colored toilets, garbage disposals, the latest lavatory, kitchen sinks and faucets, etc.
A homeowner would bring in a faucet stem, free bib screws, and washers, I do not thing O-Rings were used that much back then, so there were a lot of other gaskets, graphite packing, washers, key grease, etc.
I see the sign says USE AT YOUR OWN RISK, and the box and BAND-AIDS sitting there. :-) And I think an ashtray too. Jars of washers or from Crest.
Free use of tools pay for parts.jpgGarage with 3 service bays
Used to repair Baumbachs fleet of trucks. With Gas pump
Had his own two door service shop to repair his fleet of vehicles.
Had his own gas station too, see the pump on the right side?
I remember these service bays did not have lifts, instead there was a pit hole in the ground with steps, similar to what Jiffy Lube has today. So you could stand under them.
garage.jpgParts room
Also showroom, see the FREE use of work bench and tools. and Radio dispatched.
partroom.jpgPlumbing Pipes Suspended In The Air
What do you do when your company gets hired to do a plumbing job, you spend money on maternal, you have hired all the laborers, but the builder gets delayed?
This is most likely the first time in history that the plumbing was installed before the building was built.
Claremont Apartments in Arlington, Va. 1952? The builder fell behind. W. J. Baumbach needed to say on time. The delay was costing him money. So he did not wait for the builder he installed the plumbing without the walls. The builder came to the job site and told the owner that he could not build the building around the plumbing pipe. The owner told the builder that if he built the building has good as the plumbing was installed that he would have a very good building. The builder tried to refuse, however the owner said do it or he will find some else that will.
p.s.
One of the pictures might be Buckingham Apartments.
Announcement opening 4147 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA.
The Sunday Star Washington D.C. dated Sunday December 10, 1950 "announces" the opening of the location at 4147 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA.
Announces opening 4147 Wilson 1950-12-10 .jpgBaseball team that Baumbach Plumbing sponsored.
This is a baseball team that Baumbach Plumbing sponsored. The playing field is in Ballston, Arlington, Va. where the filed was for a while was called Parkington and is where the Hecht Co. is now, but its now called Ballston Commons.
Location, Field were Parkington was build, later Ballston Quarter, formerly known as Ballston Common Mall
I am not 100% sure if the location, just going from memory of what my father told me.
Add this I found in newspaper, the pictures in the newspaper could not been seen. 2023-09-21
Sun, Volume 16, Number 18, 23 March 1951
Stuckey. Studio, Arlington Photographed here are most of the members of the young men’s division of the Ballston Indians A.C. basketball aggregation. They have been invited to play in the Greenbelt (Md.) invitational tournament April lto B—■ the only Virginia team invited, and boast a season record of 29 victories in unlimited play. Left to right, front row, are Herb Hensley, Mike CullinSne, George Russell, Jr., Coach Glen “Pop” Warner, Mark Sullivan and Billy Neeb. Standing are the 8.1.A.C. director, Dallas Pearson, Morris Leven, Frank Major, Jr., Miss Lillian Baumbach, Glen <Joan > Warner, Marvin Gatz and Bob Meyer. Absent were Jack Fogerty, Davis Burke, Red Owens and Keith Cobb. Miss Baumbach is service manager of W. J. Baumbach, Inc., plumbing and heating contractors, which firm has done much to help sponsor the many Ballston Indians teams. Trophies donated by the Baumbach company recently were presented to George Ruspell, Jr., as the unlimited division’s most valuable court player, and to Mr. and Mrs. Warner for their Services as coach and as official club scorer. Miss Baumbach huius the loses g iven her by the team as the trophies were awarded.
baseball.jpg