Dr. Leonard “Doc” Muse
Have you traveled down Shirlington Rd in the Nauck neighborhood, and stopped for a snack at the one story, white, shingled building on the corner of Shirlington Rd and 24th Rd S?
Established in 1952, the Green Valley Pharmacy is the first (and only) pharmacy and lunch counter in Arlington that would serve African American patrons during the Jim Crow era.
The man who opened the pharmacy was Dr. Leonard “Doc” Muse, a pharmacist and social activist. Muse was born in Florida in 1923 and after serving in World War II used his GI benefits to attend the Howard University School of Pharmacy. In 1952, he and his partner Waverly Jones bought the former Hyman’s Grocery and opened the Green Valley Pharmacy. The pharmacy served black and white customers, but mainly served as a neighborhood hub for Nauck- as a lunch counter, a drug store, and a first job for many young people in Green Valley. Doc provided free lunches for the hungry and free medications for those who could not afford their prescriptions.
In 2013, Green Valley Pharmacy was named as an Historic District by the Arlington County Board, and Muse himself was honored by the Arlington NAACP with the Community Appreciation Award. Muse’s commitment to social activism established him as a pillar of the Nauck community, positively influencing the young people of Green Valley and providing a social and political hub for the residents of Nauck.
Dr. Leonard Muse died on August 20, 2017.
A celebration of life service was held in his honor at Drew Model School on Saturday, August. 27, 2017.
The photo of Green Valley Pharmacy was taken by Matthew Welborn in 2010, as part of a student photography contest, "Capturing Arlington," sponsored by the Center for Local History.
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Gloria Fleming says
February 28, 2019 at 8:49 pmThe article on Dr. Muse is well deserved. I understand his drugstore will be preserved as a historic site.
r says
March 1, 2019 at 8:31 amI live within walking distance of the Green Valley Pharmacy.
If you have been in the area recently you would appreciate what a dump it has become.
How do we fix this issue?
Ted Haley says
March 1, 2019 at 11:03 amI drive past this often. It looks like it has been closed recently. Hopefully just for renovation.