Long Before Software, There was Hardware…
the Tale of Concord’s Vanderhoof Hardware Company
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Stepping across the threshold of Vanderhoof Hardware, you travel back in time. The soft jingle of the shopkeeper’s bell, the gentle creak of wooden floors that have witnessed customers coming and going for more than 115 years, the unassuming murmur of voices discussing home improvement projects, and the ring of a 1930’s telephone (yes, it still works), all let you know you are someplace special. Scott Vanderhoof, the 4th generation of Vanderhoofs to run this charming old-school hardware store, greets me with a genuine smile and the relaxed demeanor of someone who is comfortable in his world. The iconic 12
Discover CONCORD
| Winter 2020
Photo courtesy of Vanderhoof Hardware, Co.
BY JENNIFER SCHÜNEMANN
yellow wall along one side of the shop showcases a delightful array of tools, parts, trinkets, gizmos, and bits to support any doit-yourself project around town. Downstairs, the lower level of one of the oldest buildings in Concord Center reveals a glass cutting station, and a workshop where lamps are restrung and a wide range of formerly broken items and small appliances are restored to their glory and sent home. Specialty tools also sharpen everything from knives, to garden tools, to scissors, to chainsaws! “My great-grandfather, Albert, moved to Concord in 1904 – just at the time that indoor plumbing and electricity were
Circa early 1900s; from left to right: Albert Vanderhoof (founder), George Keith, Auton Saunders, Frank Vanderhoof, George Emmott, Philip Vanderhoof
becoming popular. He transitioned the focus from the old coal stoves to this ‘new’ technology here in Concord. In fact, the Fitchburg railroad station was one of the first jobs his shop took on when he opened,” said Scott. Back in 1904, the shop mostly focused on coal stoves, kerosene lamps, copper wash boilers, plumbing, and heavy hardware. The upper floor was a specialty shop to make air ducts. You can still see the heavy iron
