Herman 'Smitty' Smith: Iconic Barber Fixture in Falls Church
Smith, who has cut hair in Falls Church for almost 50 years, said barbershops have always been a meeting spot in black communities.
Herman “Smitty” Smith arrived in Falls Church in 1964 when haircuts cost $1, and he has cut hair inside 303 Douglass Ave. ever since. Back then, he said, the area was sprawling with black families. Smith, 72, came to the area for another job and to check on his sister who lived nearby, when a friend of his sister suggested the one time United States Navy barber take his talents to an area shop. The shop Smith took a chance on almost 50 years ago now bares his name, “Smitty’s Unisex Barbershop.” “I’ve been working here since 1964 but I took over in 1986,” Smith said. Constructed in 1959 as a barbershop by Dr. Harold Johnson, the shop has served as a meeting place in the black community. Smith said Johnson built the shop, which has a …
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