File:Brunswick Hardware, Leroy Strawsburg and Melvin Taylor.jpg

George's Hardware (Brunswick Hardware)

There are people around Brunswick who still refer to this as George's hardware store. Harry Y. (Junior) George and his father owned a business at this location for most of the 20th century. Harry George, Sr was previously a partner in the Swank & George Hardware Store before he bought out George Swank and built this store in 1907. The Georges also operated a coal yard near the west-end Litten's GM dealership.

Melvin Taylor & Leroy Strawsburg bought the store from Junior George and started business in 1973. Leroy then bought out Mel and is the current owner. It is the last of the old stores that once lined the bustling upper part of Potomac Street, west of Kaplon's that is still operating the same type of business as it has for over 100 years.

Current picture taken in 2010. Photo courtesy of Smoketown History

From Facebook: Teresa Rutherford: My brother mike and his wife Stephanie lived in the apartment above the store, that was an awesome apt. lots of good time in that pad, March 5, 2010

Peggy Jean Lewis: My husband and I both work there part-time since we retired a few years ago. The upstairs is now a sporting goods section where they do embroidery, decorating uniforms, t-shirts, high school jackets, etc. March 6, 2010

Abbie Strawsburg Ricketts: If only the walls of our second floor"apartment" could talk. Lots of people have lived up there since 1907.My son in law Jeremy Lowery came home there as a newborn baby. Now it is my shop. March 6, 2010 Phil Lowery: It's funny I had several relatives live in that apartment before me. My Uncle Sonny and Louise Cannon rented the apartment before they moved to the house they bought on Virginia Avenue and Pop Powers and his wife lived there. The building was owned by Harry George when my relatives lived there. The Powers were related to My Uncle Fritz and Aunt Bunny Powers. It was a nice apartment with large rooms. March 8, 2010

Interesting tidbits. When Harry George owned the Hardware Store he had a wood/coal stove in the window display. My grandparents on my mother's side were from Martingsburg WVA. They came to our house every Sunday. My grandfather was walking around town one Sunday right after the fire and saw the wood stove sitting in the window. He was interested in buying it so my dad called Harry George to see if he was interested in selling the stove and my grandfather bought the wood/coal stove. March 11, 2010

Cheryl and I moved into the apartment over the Brunswick Hardware Store back in May of 1977. Jeremy was born in October 1977. When we bought Jeremy home from the hospital Leroy, Mel, and Abbie were all three standing in the front of the hardware store and were the first outside our family to see Jeremy. It's funny to me to think after all the years have passed Jeremy married Amber Ricketts which Abbie is her mother and first outside the family to see Jeremy. In addition, back then you didn't know the sex of the baby until after they were born. For some reason everyone in the family including Cheryl and I was certain Cheryl was going to have a girl so we picked out the name Amber and hadn't thought of boy names. Who would have ever thought after all the years that passed Jeremy's wife would be named Amber. It's funny to us in the family. March 11, 2010