Heverly Hardware

In 1895, E. H. and J. H. Heverly bought the Wilson drugstore building on the southwest corner of Main and Olive streets. Edward and John opened Heverly Bros. Hardware. The store became an institution that survived until 1966. In 1900, Edward left to go into the ministry, an area in which he served for the next forty years. In 1907, John left the business to go to Panama to run a general store in the Canal Zone. He was there until 1912 when he moved to Arkansas.

Heverly Bros. Hardware in 1908. Operated for 71 years on this corner where today’s Golden Age Housing is located. lr: Ike Street Harve Heverly, Ray Knight, O. J. Heverly. 1910

John left the store to Otto Heverly, who had joined the business in 1900. When he first started, Otto would load a wagon with wallpaper, paint and other supplies. He would travel the country papering and painting for a number of months before he would return to Center Point for the winter.

Ray Knight, a brother-in-law, came into the business in 1907. The name was changed from the Heverly Brothers to Heverly-Knight. The store sold all the newest merchandise: DeLaval separators, Mier pumps, Warm Morning heaters and Aer Motor windmills. For the promotion of the Copperclad range, Mrs. Otto Heverly would make and bake baking powder biscuits in the store. These, along with coffee, were served free to the customers.

1910 stove department at Heverly Hardware. l-r: stove salesman, O. J. Heverly and Ray S. Knight.

Otto had the distinction of sealing a box that was placed in the corner stone of the E.U.B. Church in 1911. The box contained a number of items including newspapers, coins and a list of the officers of the church.

In 1936, Knight left the business and the name was changed to Heverly Hardware. In 1945, Harold Domer, husband of Wanda Rae (Heverly), managed the store for Otto. The office was in the back of the store and was about six feet higher than the main floor, affording managers a good view of the activity in the store. Wanda Rae has many memories of her life in the store. She can remember riding on the ladder that went along the shelves in the store, much to the dismay of her father. She also remembers the case containing ten stuffed birds, which was inherited from Wilson’s days as owner of the building, in the top of the second story stairwell. This display case is now on exhibit at the Historical Museum.

The Heverly name had been associated with the hardware for 71 years. The store was closed in 1966 and the building was torn down in 1972 to make room for the Golden Age Housing Development.