For Norfolk Hardware, a lot has changed, and a lot hasn’t in 85 years

Ben and Stew Rosen in front of their store in Mattapan. HBSDealer photo

When Stew Rosen’s grandparents opened Norfolk Hardware in 1934, the business operated out of a small 1,500-square-foot space on Norfolk Street in Mattapan and sold a small array of plumbing products. In the decades since, the family-owned business has become a staple in the neighborhood, remaining amid tides of change and providing a homeowner’s sanctum for waves of newcomers to the area.

Today, Mattapan is home to some of the city’s largest Haitian, Jamaican, and other Afro-Caribbean communities. But in the 30s and 40s, the neighborhood was predominantly Jewish.

“There was this place, Ginsberg’s Bakery right across the street, where they sold the best bread and pastries you could find,” said Rosen.

In those days, the family trade was introduced to its family members at a young age. Rosen says he first became involved in the business at age eight.

“We sold bottles of paint additives sealed with corks,” he said, “and I would go down to the basement, fill up the bottles, and then stock the shelves.”

Today, some things about the store have changed. The Rosens now operate Norfolk Hardware at at 981 Morton St. out of a newly renovated, 42,000-square-foot building. The store’s inventory has expanded to include tools, kitchen appliances, building materials, lawn and garden products, automotive wares, electrical supplies. In other words, pretty much anything you can think of.

But other aspects of the company have remained the same. As far as Rosen is concerned, his family still runs the store the way his grandparents did.

“To tell the truth, the community is the only thing that’s changed,” he said. “With the store, over all those years, nothing’s changed. It’s the same family-owned business, same full-service neighborhood store feel, same value-oriented material selections.

“Anybody can go to a big box store like Home Depot or Lowes to buy something. When they come here, they get the same value, but they’ll get full service in addition to that. In most places, it’s one or the other. But here we own the building, it’s family-run, and we have the right mindset.”

Those customer values are what have kept Norfolk Hardware in business for 85 years. This month, the store will celebrate that landmark with a special daylong event on Sat., Sept. 21, from 11 p.m. to 4 p.m. on company property. For a party of this magnitude, the Rosen family is pulling out all the stops.

The celebration will include live music by rock/country band the Bourbon Chasers; BBQ from World Champion pitmaster Andy Husbands of The Smoke Shop restaurants; wine and beverages provided by Gordon’s Wine; special raffles and “30-minute flash sales;” family-friendly activities including a craft, table, a dunk tank, cornhole, and lawn games; appearances from Mayor Martin Walsh, Rep. Dan Cullinane, and Rep. Russell Holmes. The event’s emcee will be Billy Costa of Kiss 108FM and NESN.

Donations will be accepted on the day of the event, with proceeds raised going to the Pine Street Inn, an organization currently marking their 50th anniversary of helping homeless men and women in Boston.

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Newly-renovated and mural-decorated: Norfolk Hardware's property on Morton Street, where it has operated since 1984. Dan Sheehan photo

Rosen’s son Ben, the fourth generation in the family business and the current vice president of Norfolk Companies, echoed his father’s sentiments about the store and the community-based values that have kept its doors open for decades.

“While the size and scope of the business has changed with several locations and over 160 employees, the same commitment to community and level of customer service has been unwavering,” he said in a press release. “It’s difficult to maintain these characteristics in many businesses as they scale, but we are still family-owned and operated and these values are at the heart of everything we do.

“Our goal this year, as we celebrate our customers, communities and employees, is to introduce an entirely new generation of people to our business and put meaning behind where and why you purchase what may seem like everyday items.”

The 85th anniversary bash will kick off a yearlong celebration featuring continued “flash sales,” workshops with 15-minute crash courses on DIY homeowner jobs like painting and flooring, and harvest, Halloween, and holiday events in the coming months.

The September 21 event is open and free to the public with an RSVP online. For more information on Norfolk Companies, to RSVP for the event, or for details on any of the upcoming programming, visit norfolkhardware.com/85years.


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