Williamston True Value Hardware: Surviving at Same Location for Over 100 Years

From horses and buggies traveling down the road to motor vehicles, the Williamston True Value Hardware store has lasted for over 100 years on 139 South Putnam Street in Williamston, Mich.

The business first began with Rev. Alfred Allen in the late 1800s under the name A. Allen & Company and though it wasn’t the only hardware store around, it was the first specialty hardware store in the city of Williamston, according to a news release that is posted inside of the store.

The name has changed from owner to owner about four times over the years, but “Williamston True Value Hardware,” which was given by owners Barb and Jim Vanderberg, has stood strong since 1997, writes Honda Carter for the Spartan Newsroom.

The current manager of the store Jenny Brouwer, who has been an employee for 10 years, said this is the only building in the city that is still the building it was built to be.

“We started off as a hardware store and we still are a hardware store,” Brouwer said.
Brouwer said there are updates that have to be done from time to time, but for the most part the buildings antiqueness from the basement to the attic is kept the same.

“For the building that it is and as old as it is, it’s always had good owners that have respected its history and not change it,” she said.

One of the biggest updates the business has had was in 1917, when owners expanded the business next door to the post office, creating space for more tools, paint, and hardware to be sold.

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