GRAFTON, Ohio — This week, firefighters worked to save a century-old building in historic downtown Grafton. Now, the community is rallying around the family-owned business.
For almost as long as trains have been rumbling through the village, the Spitzer Hardware store has been a cornerstone downtown.
“This is a historic hardware store. But it’s more than that. It’s part of the warp and woof of our village,” said Grafton Village Administrator Andrew Lipian.
On Tuesday night, shortly before midnight, fire crews responded to the more than 120-year-old business for reports of smoke. They saved the historic building, but the interior incurred extensive smoke damage.
“We’re committed to getting it rebuilt and standing stronger than ever,” Lipian said.
The village initiated an online fundraiser, which had raised over $700 of its $6,500 goal by Friday afternoon. The description called the hardware store a “Grafton Legacy.”
Spitzer Hardware was started in 1904 by George Spitzer. The original location burned down in the 1930s and was rebuilt in its current location.
You might recognize the Spitzer name from the family’s numerous auto dealerships in Northeast Ohio. Local legend connects their car business origins to Henry Ford himself.
Al Spitzer said the founder of Ford Motor Company was on a passenger train that stopped in Grafton. Ford walked into his grandfather’s hardware store, seeking smaller market partners for his burgeoning business and persuaded George Spitzer to sell his now-iconic Model T.
“That’s how we got our first franchise was by that happenstance,” Spitzer said.
Photos of the generations of Spitzer family members and their business cover the walls at the company’s headquarters in Elyria, including several pictures of the original hardware store built in 1904, a nearby showroom and the building rebuilt after the 1930s fire.
“A lot of nostalgia there. It’s kind of a symbol of our company,” Spitzer said of the Grafton hardware store. “So we plan to stay and get back into business as soon as possible.”
This week’s fire is not the only one in downtown Grafton in the past decade. The village administrator said several buildings, including a bar, pizza shop and bowling alley, were all lost to fire.
Lipian said the village is hoping to work with the property owners of older buildings, connecting them with resources to replace old electrical wiring and upgrade fire protection.
“This is our hometown, our history. We want to preserve it for the future. And if we have to - reinvent it,” Lipian said.
Spitzer said he plans to keep the business in Grafton. He told News 5 he doesn’t expect to need community donations to make repairs, but he was touched by the gesture and wants to pay it forward.
“That was so kind. And my thought was to donate it to the Grafton Fire Department,” he said.
Faulty wiring is the suspected cause of the fire, though it is officially still under investigation. Spitzer said the hardware store will still be able to fulfill some orders online and will be in touch with regular customers.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
