Franconia Hardware Store (Site)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The hardware store was in the same building that now houses the La Fiamma Italian Kitchen.


<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>
<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2008 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Mother Of 3 Runs Hardware Store
By Jim Cox, Son

This was the title of an Alexandria Gazette article published sometime in 1975. The article is about my Mom, Frances Cox, and describes her job as manager of the Franconia Hardware Store, during the 1970s. Mom had served as Joe Alexander’s campaign manager in the early 1970s. The campaign job began a long association between my Mom, Joe Alexander, and the Hardware store. She went to work for him at the store part-time as I remember, and about this time the Fairfax Supervisors became full-time employees, meaning they worked more hours. Since Joe had less time to work at the store, my Mom assumed more and more responsibility, and ended up as manager. I am sure Joe and Davie can provide more details about how she became the manager. All of the text from the Alexandria Gazette article will be in quotations, interspersed between my comments.

"She said she thinks she is probably the only female hardware store manager in the area although some women help their husbands who run stores. And from the looks of her immaculate shop, she may be the best manager of any type around. “Some of the customers don’t believe I know what I’m doing” she admitted. “Especially some of the older men.” They call up, she said, and ask to speak to one of the men when they have a problem or want to know the best way to do a particular job. Sometimes they say, “Yes sir,“ when they’re ordering something, said Mrs. Cox, obviously amused by such mistakes."

"She runs a trim ship at the 25-year-old store, and said she can do about everything there is to do. As it is, she can be found cutting chicken wire, or glass, mixing grass seed, measuring loose garden seeds, or dishing out orders to her male assistants."

Thoughts from Jim Cox:
Mom implemented new things and expanded other parts of the business. She reclaimed some of the space from the old post office area to increase the available retail space. She also made the store more seasonal in nature, carrying lots of the things needed for spring gardening, and snow shovels and sleds for inclement weather. I know I made many trips to the distributor with her to stock up on last minute items in response to weather forecasts.

More from the Gazette:
"Mrs. Cox said she picked up what she does know about hardware products while working on improvements and repairs at her Franconia home. She said she wants to make Franconia Hardware a place where people can go for help, especially with the trend toward more and more do-it-yourself work. Customers, including some women, come in with drawings, she said, and we try to help them figure out the best way to do whatever it is. A personal touch is her announced goal. “That’s what makes my job interesting,” she said. They call and say “Hey Frances, how deep do I plant my beans,” or say “is it time to do that,” she said. “We get some strange questions, too.” "

Thoughts from Jim Cox:
Franconia Hardware was a traditional neighborhood hardware store as long as Milton or Joe Alexander owned the business. About the only place you can get this type of service these days is at Fischers, in Springfield. Emphasis was on fixing things, not just replacing a whole item like a faucet. Mom always took pride in having older salesmen around that had worked in the trades, and knew how to “fix old stuff.” Mom worked hard to learn all phases of the hardware business, she had a flair for gardening and growing things. The statement about improvements at our home were all true, my parents and I added three bedrooms and a two car garage to our original 4 room house. She cut 2x4s for Dad to frame the rooms and could swing a hammer. My special skills were mixing cement, digging footers with a pick and shovel, and lugging cinder blocks.

More from the Gazette:
"To instigate conversation and that personal touch, she prints a bulletin of hints on everything from planting to canning. “ A lot of customers like to teach you what they know,” she said, remembering a tip she picked up several customers ago. A fifth generation Alexandrian, Mrs. Cox said she moved to Franconia about 14 years ago. Apparently fond of more rural sights such as trees and unpaved fields, she said Franconia is “beginning to look a little metropolitan for me."

Thoughts from Jim Cox:
I vaguely remember the bulletins that Mom assembled for the store, I don’t remember how often they were printed, and all copies have been lost over time as far as I know. After I graduated from college I worked part time at the store, especially during the spring season, mostly on weekends. I mainly ran the register, weighed seeds, cut keys, sold fishing licenses, and cleaned up. My brother also worked part-time. We mainly stuck to things that would not get us in trouble. This is not to say that Joe was a hands-off owner, he usually worked on Wednesdays and some Saturdays. The store environment changed when Joe was there, all of his constituents knew he was onsite so they stopped by to buy a pound of nails and ask Joe political questions. For my part Joe was always pleasant to work with and seemed to like having us work in the store. Of course we were useful having strong backs and weak minds, we handled the heavy lifting.

Eventually Mom made some trips to Florida to visit my Grandfather, and fell in love with the Gulf Coast area around Bonita Springs, South of Fort Myers. My parents had divorced around 1979-80, so Mom decided to head south. Joe promptly sold the hardware store, which went under a short time later. She met an exterminator in Florida, remarried, and decided to start their own pest control business. She plunged herself into the new business, using her experience and organizational skills to succeed. All of the experience she got working for Joe stood her in good stead during this period Over the next several years they grew their business, adding several trucks and employees. On June 3, 1986, I got a call from my sister late in the night that our Mom had had a massive heart attack, and had passed away while being transported to the hospital. She was 51 years old, and is buried near her father in a small church cemetery in Bonita Springs. I have missed having her counsel over the years since her passing.


<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>
<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

Here follows an excerpt from the Spring 2010 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Long Arm of Franconia on the Internet:
Obviously homesick, Donna Peyer of Kent, Washington on the West Coast typed in 'Franconia' in the search area of her computer last fall. She was thrilled to find the Franconia Museum web site. Known as Kim DeAngelis, she and her family moved to Brookland Estates in 1953. She attended Franconia Elementary until Bush Hill opened. She remembers movies at Ward's Corner and shopping at Fitzgerald's Store. Her mom, Isabel DeAngelis, worked at the post office in Franconia Hardware in the 1960s. One day, Kim visited her mom and met a young man named Alan Peyer, who was in the Air Force and was moonlighting by working at the hardware store. They were married two years later. She e-mailed the Museum and asked to be put in touch with Joe Alexander. Davie and Joe Alexander contacted her to say Joe remembered both her mother and Alan. Kim/Donna says she has only been back to Franconia twice in 38 years. Our web page brought back so many wonderful memories for her.


<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>
<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

Here follows an excerpt from the Spring 2011 edition of the "Franconia Remembers" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Betty Nalls
Written by Carl Sell

Betty’s dad wasn’t known for keeping the cleanest car in Franconia. One day, he sent her to the local Kaiser-Frazer dealership (located in the building where Franconia Hardware and subsequently Paradiso Restaurant is located) to have it cleaned. There she met a young gas station attendant named Buddy Nalls, who refused to clean the car but did snag a date with the pretty young driver.