Hardware store closes after 142 years

[89th]

This was located near where I lived before moving to Minnesota. The little hardware shop has been running for 142 years, but is finally closing up shop. I'm not terribly surprised, the area has changed much, even over the last 10 years, as the street gets crowded with new condos, less parking, higher rents, and folks that would come into the store, get help for 15 minutes then complain about the price not being as cheap as online. Quick article (and a link to a video if you want to learn a bit more.

https://fallschurchpulse.org/browns-hardware-closing/

https://www.pbs.org/video/iylh_202_falls-church_history-kdlmer/

Here's the latest street view, for context. You can mostly see the name "Brown's Hardware" on the glass front of it.

[jon-nyc]

We still have our local one, as do the towns to the north and south of me. Even though there’s a Home Depot and Lowe’s about 15m away.

I’m reallly grateful for them and use them when I can.

[Mik]

I'll generally go to an Ace rather than big box. At least they are franchised. We've seen a lot of great hardware stores close around here.

[Axtremus]

I appreciate the knowledgeable staff usually found in more traditional hardware stores. Still, I find that I have fewer and fewer occasions to actually need to visit a traditional hardware store.

[Jolly]

I use a local Ace. The owner tends to hire old guys from the trades that want to subsidize their retirement money and/or just want to get out of the house.

Like the kids, I'll sometimes use a YT video when running into something I haven't done before. But sometimes there's nothing like talking to somebody who has done it multiple times before.

[Copper]

We have a small Ace, Tractor Supply and True Value within 5-10 minutes. Lowes is 30 minutes.

[George K]

We used to have one, about a mile from where I lived. Great place with a sign that said, "We have it in stock if we can find it."

Closed 15 (?) years ago. Closest Ace is about 3 miles away. I'll go there before any big box.