In 1964, Lou and Sylvia Williams opened the first Colonial Opticians on 4942 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland. They had a vision in mind – to push the edge of technology in offering innovative lenses, along with great customer service and impeccable frame choices. Colonial Opticians soon became known for offering customers state-of-the-art lenses that no one else in the Washington area had.

Over the past 50 years, we have grown from just one location to four stores, all located in Montgomery County, Maryland. Even though we have grown, our philosophy has remained the same – we still provide excellent customer service and a superior quality of product. We were the first to develop low-vision lenses, and we still service that market today, alongside our many other eye care products and services.

Colonial Opticians continues to be a family business. We are owned and operated by Lou’s children, Gary, Jason, and Debby, his daughter-in-law Karen, his son-in-law Reggie, and his two grandsons, Ryan and Cortland. The Colonial Opticians team of opticians is dedicated to preserving the legacy of quality that Lou started more than 50 years ago.