Jamie and Korie Hatton, renovating building hope to open sometime in April

By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

The businesses’ sale was finalized just weeks ago, but new owners Jamie and Korie Hatton are hard at work remodeling the Walnut St. building that formerly housed Peabody Hardware and Lumber.

If all goes well, the Hattons plan to open a new hardware and lumber business sometime in April.

Jamie Hatton said he is looking forward to the challenge of tackling retail after years selling wholesale lumber.

“I will get to deal with customers individually, so that will be exciting,” he said.

A register of deeds notice of the sale of Whitney Enterprises, LLC to Hatton’s Hometown Hardware, Inc. appeared Feb. 19 in the Marion County Record. The Hattons declined to disclose terms of the private sale.

A hardware store has stood at 124 N. Walnut St. in Peabody since the late 1870s. The Hattons have embraced the character of the old building even as they renew it for future customers.

“You don’t want what people are used to,” Hatton said Saturday as he and wife, Korie, took a needed break. “You want to give it a new feel, and something more inviting for people to come and see.”

Particle board floors that bubbled up in the damp have become a nuisance, he said, pointing to an area of buckled tiles.

They are being ripped out to reveal old wood Hatton plans to sand and, possibly, stain.

Drop ceilings have also been pulled down to show off the original, which will be touched up with fresh paint.

“It looks a lot cleaner and a lot more open,” said Jamie gazing up at a high arch of gray planks.

“Look at this side over here,” he said, stepping through a doorway. “See how much it just opened it up. It makes it feel much bigger.”

The Hattons are doing the work on the building themselves. Hiring out the job would cost more than they are willing to spend.

Finishing the flooring is their first priority. It has to be done before any shelving can be bought in, Hatton said.

Jamie and Korie also have plans to expand the store’s offerings, but Jamie said he would rather not announce anything until they know they have vendors on board.

He said he now regrets posting a proposed logo for the new store on social media “a little prematurely” and was stunned by the response.

“I wanted to kind of get a feel for what people thought about the logo and it blew up,” he said of the many who have sent good wishes and asked the Hattons when they plan to open.

The Hattons are pleased the community appears eager to welcome the new store. A grand opening is planned, but Jamie said they still have a lot of work ahead of them before then.

“We’ve done a lot, but we have got a lot to do,” he said.