Meeker’s Hardware: The First Step in Losing Our History
June 5, 2023
Meeker’s, a historic hardware store in Danbury, has plans to be turned into a 92 seat bar. The locals and officials are outraged. I remember as a little kid going into Meeker’s with my father to say hi to the friendly, elderly owner and his dog. Seeing the hardware store from my childhood being turned into a bar saddens not only me but my family as well. “I think that Meeker’s has the opportunity to be something that can better the community, like housing, or something like that. A bar doesn’t fit the ambiance and it doesn’t show respect to the residents nearby.” My father, someone who would frequent the Meeker’s Hardware store said.
Not only does a bar not respect the history of the space, but it also is posing a risk to the residents. The bar would stay open until 2AM, sources say. This makes it hard to convince the officials of our town to hop on board with the renovations.
Many are also concerned about the conservation of the historic site. Even the professionals. “I want to make sure that the integrity of the building is preserved. It would be unfortunate to see such an iconic piece of Danbury’s history go to waste.” Countless times again we see important parts of our towns history disappear because someone wants to take advantage of the space. Either tearing it down or turning it into something that doesn’t reflect its importance. Like the old deli that used to be across from my house. My parents would rave about their sandwiches and soups, and of course the sweet owner that happened to live up the street from us. Not only was that picturesque deli turned into something that destroyed its historical value, but it was also changed into a bar that keeps us up from night to night.
I think that it’s important to note that this will happen with Meeker’s, and it will disturb the peaceful atmosphere. Meeker’s is important to the people of Danbury, and it’s time that we keep the history of our town alive, one building at a time.
Taking pride in not only the town but its history will overall bring us together, and maybe even educate our townspeople on the ability that history has to enrich our lives here. My parents taught me that it is important to know where we came from and keeping that history alive is important.
We as a community need to rally behind Meeker’s. Keep the renovations in line with the buildings history, and keep it respectful of the people around it. Im happy I’m from here, but it would show true character to keep Danbury’s history alive.
Dimitris • Jun 12, 2024 at 9:13 am
Zoë,
While I appreciate your sentiment about preserving local history, it’s important to acknowledge the broader context in which these changes are occurring. Decades ago, white families, including likely some of your own ancestors, fled downtown Danbury by their own choice. This mass departure contributed to significant demographic and cultural shifts in the area.
It’s particularly paradoxical to be concerned about preserving the historic presence of Meeker’s when the previous owner and other absentee landlords have shown little interest in maintaining the area. For years, many who own property here failed to invest in or care for the community they left behind. Now, as changes are proposed, the sudden surge of concern feels misplaced and disingenuous.
In a capitalist and free-market society, it is fundamentally inconsistent to demand that individuals or businesses preserve specific historical sites if it is not in their economic interest to do so. While preserving a “historical landmark” may hold cultural and sentimental value for your group of people, instead of trying to keep it in a time capsule, a more practical approach would be to address the community’s current needs especially considering there are no hardware stores in downtown Danbury.
The people who have remained and sustained downtown Danbury through its challenges are the ones who should be at the forefront of deciding its future and they are doing so. Their voices, experiences, and needs must take priority over nostalgic recollections.
Donna Gaetano • Oct 30, 2023 at 11:16 am
This is beyond sad. This is what this country has come to under this leader ship. History hasta be a raced small businesses that were there forever are gone. It’s disgusting and the mayor of Danbury should probably care a Little more than he does. Then again, as long as he gets paid a ridiculous amount for doing nothing he’s gonna keep doing nothing.