Wilkes County Hardware offers a window into the past while showcasing unique crafts items from the local community today. Run now by the Searcy family, Wilkes County Hardware operates much as it has since the 1940s. The space boasts one of the oldest working freight elevators in Western North Carolina. In the early days of selling hardware, the store was also a supplier for the county’s legendary moonshiners. Before it was a hardware store, the building was a major poultry processor of barnyard chickens & turkeys. Farmers herded them down from the mountains into the building to be processed and loaded up on the railroad just down the street.
Today, Wilkes County Hardware is still a full service hardware store, but it also prides itself on offering locally sourced products from North Carolina, specifically Wilkes County. Visitors can find local craft products including woodworking, handmade soaps, local honey, BBQ rub, pottery, wooden signs, wind chimes, kitchen crochet wash rags, and natural bug repellent. Additionally, Wilkes County Hardware also features locally sourced foods including granola, local honey, local molasses, BBQ sauce, peanuts, and Moravian cookies—all made in North Carolina.
Hours:
Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-5:30 PM
Saturday 7:30 AM-2:30 PM
