Smith H J & Sons

What a wonderful hardware store. And it’s a museum of oddities. The family that runs the store are very knowledgeable about all hardware stuff and the museum part is all free. They carry a lot of old fashion items. Lots of cool cast iron things.

While wandering on the northshore a couple of months ago, I happened across this hardware store and remembered John’s review. So, of course, I had to go in.
I wish I could have examined every item in the place. It was so cool. They have lots of old-​timey stuff for sale (my Mom was impressed with all the canning implements) and then there is the museum part to peruse. Since I was on a family outing, we kept losing various small children in the store because something would catch their eye and they’d be off like a shot. While I was considering leashes, it was cool to watch kids be fascinated with practical items… from the present and the past.
Next time, I’m definitely going to buy something… just probably not a real coonskin cap.

HJ Smith and Sons is part hardware store and part museum. It has taken me years to finally visit, but now that I have, I am sure to become a regular.
When I walked into this place I felt as if I were walking into a store from the olden days. It has a very early America feel. The store is stocked with modern hardware items and tools, but also has many unique items. I particularly appreciated the large amount of army surplus items including dummy hand grenades. I don’t know why, but I love those things. They had bit the pineapple and baseball style for sale. There was also a section filled with cast iron cookware. They had everything from small Dutch ovens to giant jambalaya pots.
There is another area off to the side of the store that is somewhat of a museum. Inside it is filled with all sorts of old items that would be of interest to most guys. There was an old canoe, old diving equipment, old bottles, and even a petrified rat. It is a little difficult to describe the scope of this museum, but trust me, it is worth a visit. The only negative I saw was that the shop did not appear to be air conditioned. That made browsing difficult during my summer visit,
As an example of the different types of items available, I will tell you about the things I purchased on my visit. The first item was just run of the mill rubber boots. You never know when you will need to wade through mud or water, so I keep this pair in my truck at all times. The second items were a pair of coonskin caps for my kids as a gift. I don’t think they thought they were as cool as I did, but where else can you buy a legitimate coonskin cap?
If this review hasn’t convinced you, do yourself a favor and check it out anyway. I think it is one of the most unique stores I’ve ever visited.

I love this place!
It’s like taking a trip in the Way Back machine.
When you first walk in you witness an old school general store. All sorts of stuff for the house and stuff you never knew you needed for the house line the walls and shelves. Need a shovel? Got it. How abut some rat traps? Got it. Looking for a bear trap? they got that too. there’s even a small area of military surplus clothing and gear if you want to outfit yourself for the impending zombie attack. You could get lost in the rows of stuff for hours checking out everything.
To the right side of the building, you will be treated to a museum. Not one of those artsy fartsy nose in the air type museum, but one that looks like it should be on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere. Tons of local memorabilia and local Covington history fill this room. If you like American Pickers, you will become moist when walking into this area. Check out the pictures I posted for some examples. You can even check out the famous petrified rat. It’s just to the left as you walk through the doorway into the museum area.
If you never visited the historic area of Covington before, make sure you put this place on your itinerary, No admission for the museum or the general store. The employees will let you sight see as much as you want.
There’s premium parking out front on the street or in the ox-​lot behind the store.