Historic store will be missed

Stores come and go. Just in the brief time that I've lived in Caldwell County, I've watched one grocery store close after only a few years in business, then another take its place. I've seen a Kmart go out of business and Belk take its place. The two former Belk spaces now house government offices and AMP-RTI.

Then you have landmarks, which also come and go. Ever get directions from a local? They never give you highway names or numbers. They tell you to turn right at so-and-so's store, then left at the old filling station, etc. Landmarks become part of our everyday lives. They're like family.

That's why it's so sad when one disappears.

That sadness will be felt throughout Caldwell County soon as one of its most recognizable, and arguably most well-known, historic landmarks will cease operations. Bernhardt-Seagle Hardware announced last week its plans to close after 179 years in business.

Billed as the second oldest hardware store in the country, the landmark is just as much a part of Lenoir and Caldwell County as Wilson Creek, furniture manufacturing and bluegrass music.

For generations, Caldwell County residents have purchased everything from feed and seed to nuts and bolts, and most recently ceramic pigs and handmade pottery, at the eclectic store. Its rich history parallels the growth and development of Caldwell County from a stop along the road to a major manufacturing center.

Though it's cliche, I can't imagine a visit to the store not yielding an interesting conversation or at least a feeling of nostalgia - it always did for me. If those walls could talk, they probably could offer more Caldwell County color and history than any other source.

But it's not just the loss of a historic landmark in downtown Lenoir that is sad. It's also the reality that Caldwell County is losing yet another piece of its long and storied heritage as a fast-changing world continues to put pressure on local traditions.

In the last 10 years, Caldwell County has said goodbye to thousands of furniture jobs that are likely to never return. The community also has said goodbye to several small businesses and business owners who contributed much to the local economy and history.

It's happening across the country and around the world. That doesn't make it any easier to swallow, but there is some solace in knowing that we're not alone. Yet the beauty (that's right, I said beauty) that can be found in the creaky wooden floors of an old hardware store with nearly two centuries of history just can't be replaced. People come from miles away to see such sights. Tourists aren't going to come here to see a “big box” store.

Even the largest, most modern super store in the world with the cheapest prices doesn't have a fraction of the personality and history of a mom-and-pop shop like Bernhardt Seagle. It truly will be missed.

So how do we save these essential parts of our community? In some cases it's probably not possible. But for those who do have a shot at competing with larger, better equipped competitors, it will take the support of local consumers, like you and me, to keep them from becoming history.

Edward Terry

Editor

eterry@newstopic.net

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