How California's second oldest operating business fare amid COVID-19 pandemic
Placerville Hardware, the second oldest operating business in California, shared how it has survived the COVID-19 pandemic with its ever-changing inventory.
Author: Barbara Bingley (ABC 10)
Published: 8:29 PM PDT April 1, 2021
Updated: 3:38 PM PDT April 2, 2021
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Take a walk down Placerville’s historic Main Street and you’ll find a hardware store that's seen it all.
At 169-years-old, Placerville Hardware is the second oldest operating business in California. According to its current owner and a sign on the window, "the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi."
It’s not a typical hardware store. Every wall, even the ceiling, is full of tools and supplies, of course, and then cooking utensils and unique gifts, like fart machines and giant wind chimes. But customers and store co-owner Albert Fausel said what really made the place shine was its history.