Most longtime Delmont residents associate the two-story brick building at the intersection of Greensburg, Freeport and West Pittsburgh streets with Mook's Hardware. After all, it was occupied by the Mook family's Delmont Plumbing & Hardware business from 1952 to 1989.
However, over the years, the building has been occupied by many different businesses, including a bank, a drug store, a service station and a restaurant.
In 1900, the First National Bank of Delmont was organized with $25,000 capital. Construction of the new bank building began the following year in the heart of Delmont's business district across the street from the Central Hotel.
When the bank opened for business in January 1902, local attorney Joseph R. McQuaide was president and James E. Douglas vice president. The directors were H.L. Greer, S.O. Rhodes and S.D. McQuaide. Joseph R. McQuaide owned the land, built the building and rented it to the corporation.
The large, two-story, "cream-pressed" brick building cost less than $20,000 to build, with an additional $3,500 for a burglar-proof safe and vault. It was constructed adjacent to the sidewalk along what is now West Pittsburgh Street.
The bank was built in anticipation of the extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Turtle Creek Valley Branch from Export to Delmont. However, the railroad, and the economic prosperity that would eventually accompany it, didn't arrive soon enough. The bank closed on May 2, 1906, under mysterious circumstances and charges of embezzlement.
Although the bank didn't last long, the building it occupied has survived the test of time. Cohen's Department Store sold shoes, clothing and household furnishings there until the early 1930s when the business moved to Export.
A few Delmont residents still have memories of shopping at Cohen's. Vera Livengood DeFrances is one of them. She recently shared her memories of the store and its owner.
"Nathan Cohen was a kind man," DeFrances recalled. "If you didn't have the money to buy something, he'd put it on a tab for you. He was kicked by a mule when he was young; the accident affected his speech. Mr. Cohen and my father, Bill Livengood, were good friends.
"When I was 14, I bought my first pair of high-heeled shoes there," she continued. "That would have been around 1930. They were black with 2-inch heels."
After Cohen's Department Store moved to Export in the early 1930s, the building was owned by H.M. Shearer, who opened a hardware business there. Shearer also owned a hardware store in New Alexandria. For many years, Delmont resident Jennie Steel worked there.
The hardware store only occupied part of the building, on the Freeport Street side, when Aleck Mitchell ran a drug store and Freedom Oil Co. service station on the West Pittsburgh Street side. Several Delmont residents recall the druggist's son, Bob Mitchell, pumping gas there, and his daughter, Betty, working in the drug store.
The curious thing about the building is that although it's a large, two-story brick building with a basement, it was moved back from the street to make room for the installation of the service station's gasoline pumps. A Pittsburgh firm that specialized in moving large buildings was hired for the job. The foundation was jacked up, and the building was rolled into position a short distance away.
After World War II, Stanley Armitage bought the hardware business, renting the building from H.M. Shearer. In 1952, Raymond Mook acquired the hardware business from Armitage, continuing to rent the building from Shearer. Mook and his wife, Ella, lived in an apartment above the store.
By that time, the service station was no longer operating, and the drug store moved across the street in a building later occupied for many years by the Delmont Cut Rate. The Village Nail Shoppe is located there now.
The hardware store then occupied the entire building. When H.M. Shearer died, his son, Dell Shearer, inherited the building. Raymond Mook continued to rent the building from him. In 1957, Mook passed away, and his sons, John and Paul, operated the business as partners. Twenty years later, John Mook purchased the building from Shearer.
Ella Mook continued to live above the store until her death in 1981. Two years later, John Mook became the sole owner of the business when his brother, Paul, retired. In 1989, Mook sold the store, but continued to work there for the new owners until 1992.
John Mook has many fond memories of the hardware business.
"When you're in business as long as I was, you meet a lot of nice people," Mook reminisced. "I always enjoyed meeting new people; being able to help them was very rewarding.
"Everyone brought their dogs into the store because they knew I loved dogs," he said with a grin.
"I always tried to treat people the way I would want to be treated, and they were good to me in return. I didn't lose $1,000 in bad debts in all the years I was in business."
A Bucknell graduate with a business degree, Mook said he learned in college, "Be patient with your employees, listen to what they have to say, and you'll get along just fine."
Mook drove to Pittsburgh's North Side and West End every Tuesday and Friday to buy merchandise from hardware wholesalers.
"You have to have merchandise on the shelves when people want it, and they always want it now," he said with a grin.
The 81-year-old Mook remains very involved in community-based organizations. As a business owner, he's always been an active member of the Delmont Lions Club. He's also served as commander of the Delmont American Legion for at least 25 years. From 1961-81, he was member of the Franklin Area/Regional School Board; and he was a trustee at the Delmont Presbyterian Church.
Last year, as a result of his lifelong community service, Mook was honored as the Murrysville Star's Delmont Man of the Year.
The hardware business closed for good in 1995. Murrysville resident Sandy Alexander bought the building and opened a restaurant and gift shop, appropriately named A Touch of Country, which she operated for the next decade. Patrons greatly appreciated the quality, home-cooked food and the hand-crafted gifts and collectibles.
After Alexander's retirement in 2005, the building sat vacant for the next two years. But it was only a matter of time until the right buyer was matched with the historic bank building. Melissa Herman purchased it in October 2007 and has been busy transforming the interior into Salem Antiquities. Herman will sell antiques and collectibles, and teach the fine art of manufacturing stained-glass products.
The grand opening is scheduled for Monday.
"The store will specialize in hand-crafted, high-quality, American-made furniture, as well as hard to find antiques, collectibles, and even the quirky," Herman explained.
She's already acquired a strong appreciation of the building and its previous owners.
"Sandy Alexander served wonderful food here," Herman said. "When the time came for her to move on, we were able to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase the building. I think Delmont is the right kind of town, and the building is the perfect place for an antiques store.
"John Mook was a good steward for the building," she continued. "He kept the interior, the roof and the parking lot well maintained. His hardware store, like the restaurant, was an asset to the community. I'm excited about the opening, and I hope, by having Salem Antiquities here, it will attract new business to Delmont and help to keep it thriving.
"There has been a long succession of quality owners who have added something to the community, and that's what we're trying to do. Delmont has lots of potential -- even after 175 years."
