Local News

A Worcester hardware store open since 1782 is going out of business

Elwood Adams Hardware in 2006. The original wooden floors are still there in the upper three floors of the 4-story building. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

By Erica Yee

1 minute to read

One of the oldest hardware stores in the nation plans to close sometime in October, according to WHDH-TV.

Elwood Adams Hardware has operated under several owners since it opened in 1782, predating even the existence of the U.S. Constitution. The store has never moved from its original downtown Worcester site at 156 Main St., located in the city’s first brick building.

After years of decline due to competition from online retailers,  the current owner is retiring. No buyer has come forward to keep the store alive.

In this 1885 photo, two men stand at the entrance of Elwood Adams Hardware. A wood stove is for sale inside, along with oil lamps, saddles, and rakes.

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“Today we’ve seen customers coming in that have been coming in for a long time leaving with tears in their eyes. This is more a relationship business. It wasn’t just selling products,” assistant store manager Mark Lannon told WHDH-TV.

Lannon has worked at the Elwood Adams for 35 years, according to The Worcester Telegram and Gazette.