Hardware, since 1864: Tanger's closes shop after 144 years

Tag : Hardware And Tools
years of his employment there.
"It's sad that the world has come to a Walmart and Lowe'smentality," Westhafer said.
The closing is particularly poignant as both store and family aresteeped in Hanover history.
David Snavely Tanger, who served as high constable, market masterand later chief burgess of Hanover, and two other partnerspurchased the hardware store in 1864. It was located at 37 Broadwayand had been owned by F.E. Metzger since 1838. (Reportedly, thestore sold ammunition and goods to Union soldiers during the CivilWar.)
At the time, the then-Spectator, a Hanover newspaper, wrote aboutTanger and his partners as "perfect gentlemen and everything intheir line of business can be had at their store, from the smallesttack up to a blacksmith's bellows. Builders, coachmakers, saddlers,carpenters, shoe-makers and all the others that are in want ofhardware would do well to give them a call," (which, of course, inthose days meant a face-to-face visit).
By 1880, David Tanger bought out the entire business and partneredwith his son, John C. Tanger, and the company became known as D.S.Tanger & Son. After David Tanger died in 1887, Harry B. Baeracquired an interest in the business, it became known as J.C.Tanger & Co. and they built a new store at the same location.
The business was incorporated in 1902 with John Tanger and Baerowning the large majority of the stock. John Tanger then bought outBaer in 1912 and, in 1937, admitted his son, John Jr., to thebusiness. In 1904, the business became known as J.C. Tanger &Son. In 1953, John Tanger III joined the business, which wasincorporated in 1962.
At that time, the company purchased what was once an early20th-century cigar factory and later a food warehouse, at 228 HighSt., for the wholesale portion of its business. In 1986, Tanger'smoved the store from Broadway to the High Street location, where ithas remained ever since.
John Tanger III recalled working for his father as early as the ageof 12, when the hardware store had a toy department. During a polioepidemic in the early 1940s, schools closed down so his father puthim to work assembling wagons and other toys.
His daughter Susan, sons David and John IV did the same for theirfather when they were growing up.
Susan and David later partnered with their father, but John IV, whostudied at both Amherst College and Harvard University and theUniversity of California-Berkeley earned a doctorate ingeochemistry and is now retired in California.
Tanger III, who has a degree in history from Amherst, said hedidn't use his education for the business but for his and his wife,Barbara's, travels to far parts of the world over the years. At 78,he said he is ready to retire and relax.
Susan Tanger, who has a degree in environmental biology fromJuniata College, said she is going to use her free time to tend toher husband and huge garden and greenhouses at her home in CarrollCounty, Md. Brother David Tanger, who has a degree incommunications from the University of the Pacific, said he has noplans at present but will look for a job.
In a farewell statement, the Tangers said that they "thank theirmany loyal customers and look forward to seeing many of them in thenext few weeks, to say good-bye" and thank them for their support.