Lafayette Hardware

Lafayette Hardware, located in the heart of the downtown commercial district, is the one of the oldest, beautifully preserved, commercial historic buildings in Lafayette. Property tax records indicate that it was built by the Hopkins family just prior to 1890. Over the years, several businesses of notoriety operated within the building, including R. B. Hopkins Pharmacy, Levy Brothers General Merchandise, plumber, A. J. Coburn, the local telephone exchange, and from 1915 to the mid1980s, the Lafayette Hardware Company. The historic significance is related to the fact that the building retains all of its original pressed metal ornamentation and a completely unaltered shop front. Most of the building’s interior also remains original. Ornamental façades like the one on this building were historically associated with successful business ventures. Commercial buildings like Lafayette Hardware, once used such ornamentation to compete with one another for esteem.