UMES has big plans for history-filled hardware store in downtown Princess Anne
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – A treasure trove awaits all of Delmarva’s antiquers and pickers. The former CH Hayman & Sons Co hardware store is preparing to turn a new page in its records. But first, everything inside must go.
“It pretty much sat as a storage unit for a couple of years … There is a lot of inventory here—a lot more than I thought. (The items) have to go. So, we’re going to be selling them,” said the current owner of the building, Paul Thornton.
Big Plans for a Community Staple
Located on Broad Street, the building is said to be the second-oldest in Somerset County, aside from the historic Washington Hotel. For years, Bill Wilson operated the store, and it served as a hub for the community.
“The people that came in and out of here were just really decent people—country people. When Bill died and we started going through stuff, we found that it was actually the Home Depot of Somerset County … He would stay here until 5 o’clock every day, whether there was a customer or there wasn’t. He would be diligently open at 7 o’clock. (Bill) was so dependable, and he carried all of us,” Thornton said.
Now, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is in the process of purchasing the building. The school plans to convert it into an entrepreneurship hub and business incubator for both students and the public.
“Most entrepreneurship centers try to teach people how to write their business plans and launch their products. (Entrepreneurs) get to launch and enter a very saturated marketplace up against companies that have a lot of resources,” said Dr. Pamela Allison, Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship and Program Innovation at UMES.
Everything Must Go … Well, Maybe Not Everything
Today, the building is stuffed with antiques, Americana, artwork, and dead stock dating back to the turn of the century. Ask Carrie Samis with the Somerset County Historical Society. She will tell you that you could practically build a modern Victorian house with original materials.
But not every item is for sale.
“This rusty box was on a shelf upstairs next to a bunch of VHS tapes that had never been opened,” Samis said with a laugh.
What Samis would find inside the box was part of the life story of a past Princess Anne resident, ranging from about 1927 to 1947.
“This is a 1930’s ribbon lady. She would have had human hair,” Samis said, showing off an antique plaque. “Then I flipped it over, and it’s a sorority certificate for Mary Catherine Wilson from 1927.”
A composition notebook tracking Wilson’s bills, income, and old family photos helps to tell more of her story. “She’s making $17 a week, and during World War II she subtracts out the victory tax,” Samis said.
Wilson would later go on to take an epic cross-country train trip, detailing her excitement along the way in postcards nestled inside the box, along with novelty cocktail napkins from hotels she visited. “She has things in here like the train menu … A cocktail napkin from Yellowstone (depicting) two little bears drining champagne,” Samis added as she carefly sorted the contents of the box.
It’s that kind of history, and other unique relics that weave the fabric Princess Anne, that Dr. Allison said UMES is looking to honor in its plans.
“They don’t build things like that anymore—you don’t find things like that anymore. So, what we want to do is take those items and bring them into this modern facility … The Town and Gown relationships is very important to us, so we want to bring UMES into the town, and then bring the town into UMES by having this open to the public,” Dr. Allison said.
Looking Ahead
For Thornton, that promise to pay an homage to a building and man that shaped much of his life is a meaningful one. Thornton said Bill Wilson was one of the first people to give him credit after moving to the United States from Ireland in 1987.
“He was just a really good soul … It’s great to know that there’s some life coming back into this place. It means something to me,” Thornton said.
Thornton said he plans to keep the hardware store open to the public for the next two months or so, and drives a good bargain for the countless items on sale inside. The hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Thursday, Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed Sunday.
Meanwhile, Dr. Allison said construction on the building would take about two years, but things will likely move quickly after the current acquisition process is complete.
