Herrick's Hardware

Established in 1865 and family-owned and operated since then, Herrick’s is housed in one of Southampton’s oldest commercial structures, one which has remained remarkably unaltered over the years. Under the roof of the familiar Main Street building, whose gable end faces the street, are two stories, the upper for storage and the lower where the range of products on display has evolved with the times (though not the roasted peanuts, always available). An 1858 map lists Herrick’s as a “store and post office” and it is easy to imagine it as a gathering place where townsfolk came for their mail and stayed a while to exchange local news and crack a few peanuts. Subsequent maps continue to identify the location with slight variations: “H.F. Herrick Store” in 1873, “B.F. Herrick” in 1902, and simply as “Herrick” in 1916. By that time the post office was long gone and the shelves have been emptied of toys and other impractical items to make room for hardware, paints, and other necessities for building and maintaining a well-run household. By 1932, Herrick’s looks much as it does now.