About Weiders Paint & Hardware
Who we are
“It was in 1879 when John A. Weider opened his horse-and-harness supply business on Spring Street in downtown Rochester. Flash forward to today, Weiders Hardware operates stores in Honeoye Falls, Brighton and Perinton, serving the Greater Rochester Area.”
Weiders Hardware has moved quite a few times over the years. By the early 1900s, when hardware was added to the offerings, Weiders moved to State Street (West Main & Broad). From there, it was on to West Main Street, where the store remained for more than half a century before it was demolished for the Inner Loop project in 1967. In 1961, Weiders opened a second location in Suburban Plaza on East Henrietta Road in Henrietta. The Honeoye Falls store opened in 1998. The Henrietta shop closed in 2005, and the Brighton store opened in a former Lilac Cleaners shop near Twelve Corners in the spring of 2011. In 2015 the decision was made to switch suppliers for the Honeoye Falls store and Weiders Hardware joined Ace.
Our Mission
In 1929, on the 50th anniversary of the opening of his business, John A. Weider is quoted as saying “Give them what they want”. John A. Weider believed that it was his commitment to excellent customer service which helped his horse and harness business thrive during the rise of the motor age.
Today, Weiders Hardware operates with the same commitment to excellent customer service.
John A Weider opened shop on 164 South St. Paul in down town Rochester (near where South Avenue and Griffith St. are today). Weider's started out selling horse harnesses and furnishing goods
Data sources: 1879 Rochester Directory | Monday, January 28th, 1929 Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Page 28
After two short years in their original location, John A . Weider moved his business to what is now South Ave and Court Street.
Records show the official address of J. A. Weider, Harness Maker moving around multiple times in the area of what was then St. Paul Street multiple times between 1881 and 1884. It was finally observed as being at 143St. Paul Street in 1884.
Data Sources: Monday, January 21st, 1929 Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Page 28 | Link To Annotated Map | Link to Complete Map via Library of Congress | 1881 Rochester Directory | 1882 Rochester Directory | 1883 Rochester Directory | 1884 Rochester Directory
Featured in the Democrat & Chronicle
"Be it known that I, John A. Weider of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Horse-Collars"
John A. Weider invented a new type of horse collar that was able to be separated at the bottom making it easier for the operator to put on and remove.
Data Source: US Patent 570887A (Archived by Google Patents)
Around this time John A. Weider moved his business to 24 Spring St. in Rochester, NY.
This advertisement from the Democrat & Chronicle shows the two addresses of John A. Weider's business on Spring St. and Lyell Ave.
Data Sources: Saturday, December 15th, 1917 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle | 1917 Rochester Directory
John A. Weider's son, Phillip F. Weider, is admitted in to a full partnership with his father, and the business becomes John A. Weider & Son.
This piece offers some amazing insight in to the state of John A. Weider's business at the time, as well as some details about the early days of the business.
Data Source: Monday, January 21st, 1929 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
This obituary from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle says that John A. Weider died at age 75 due to complications from an extended illness.
Note: The obituary incorrectly states that John A. Weider died in 1935. John A. Weider died in 1936.
Data Source: Wednesday, January 29th, 1936 edition Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
On Wednesday, October 11th, 1950, an electrical fire broke out at John A. Weider's & Son Located at West Main & Broad St. in Rochester NY.
Data Sources: Thursday, October 12th, 1950 edition of The Daily Messenger (Canandaigua NY) | Thursday, October 19th, 1950 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Philip Weider dies at the age of 58 at St. Mary's Hospital. Mr. Weider reportedly suffered from a heart attack at his home, and was transported to the hospital where he later died.
Data Sources:Friday, February 27th, 1959 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle | Saturday, February 28th, 1959 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (Pages 12 & 18) | Monday, March 2nd, 1959 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
September 1961, John Weider Co. Opens a location in Suburban Plaza in Henrietta. This store is a part of the Pro group. This store secondary to the store located at 257 Broad St. in downtown Rochester, NY.
Newspaper archives contain a news article about the opening of the new store. This article was published on Thursday, September 21st, 1961, however, prior to this article, an advertisement for an event taking place in Suburban Plaza lists Weider's Hardware as a sponsor of the event. This advertisement was published on Friday, June 30th, 1961.
Data Sources: Thursday, September 21st, 1961 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle | Friday, June 30th, 1961 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Data Source: Wednesday, November, 21st, 1990 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Monroe County Officials declared a state of emergency and approximately 200,000 homes and businesses in the Rochester Area were without power.
Data Source: Wednesday, March 13th, 1991 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle | Tuesday, March 5th, 1991 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Pictured below: Robert S. Lull, long time owner of Weider's Hardware, once located in downtown Rochester, pats a plaster-of -paris horse, which was in the store's window since it opened in 1938.
Data Source: Monday, March 12th, 2001 edition of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Owner Ned Green opened a new location in Brighton, NY, located in the space formerly occupied by the Lilac Laundromat near Twelve Corners.
Pictured above is the board cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening.
To meet the increasing needs of the community, Weiders Hardware in Honeoye Falls, decided to move away from the Pro Hardware group and joined the Ace Hardware group.
Pictured with Ned Green at the board cutting ceremony is Honeoye Falls Mayor Rick Milne and Bryan Piligra from Congressman Chris Collins office.
For the first time in Weider's history, three locations will be open in Rochester!