The Velatis Caramel Company (1866-1970): Velatis caramels continue to sell today, despite the demolition of the original downtown storefront in 1970.

Italian immigrant Salvator Velati opened the first Velatis candy shop in Richmond, Virginia, in the 1850s. This store burnt to the ground just prior to the end of the Civil War. In 1866, the Velatis Caramel Company moved to DC and reopened for business at 620 9th Street NW.

In the early 1970s, construction of the Washington Metrorail System compromised the foundation of the shop, where Velatis had stood for over a century. Velatis closed its doors and sold the trademark and secret recipes to the department store Woodward & Lothrop, which then produced and sold the caramels until it closed. In 1995, the J.C. Penney Corporation purchased all of Woodward & Lothrop’s assets and began to sell off portions of their purchase, including the Velatis candy recipes and trademark.

In the 2000s, new Velatis owners launched online sales and returned to the area when they opened a Velatis candy shop and kitchen in Silver Spring, Maryland.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks), omitted from list July 24, 1968