The former Carpenter Hardware building in Cammack, Indiana, just west of Muncie. The building has been renovated and converted into businesses and apartments.

This building housed one of the last real hardware stores in central Indiana, the kind where if it was a nut, bolt, screw, gadget, plumbing fitting, electrical supply or tool of any kind, it was there or it likely wasn’t available. There were three floors, including the basement, all full of whatever you can imagine, and was a hangout for the local fellows with time on their hands. It was run by Mr. Carpenter (everyone just knew him by “Carpie”), a crochety old so-and-so. If someone was an unfamiliar customer, Carpie ushered him to the product and found it for him. If one was a regular customer or an acquaintance asking for something, he could expect a reply like “It’s upstairs on the west side, about half way down. You can find it.”

Because we--my family--were farmers and carpenters, I grew up frequenting places like this and real lumber yards (the likes of Lowe’s don’t count as a real lumber yards). I miss places like these.