by John Dowd
Honey Hardware is a long-standing part of the Darby downtown, and for some in the area, it would be a sad thing to see it go. For them, it would be like the erasing of all the history it was connected to. One such person is Rose Honey, who now owns the building, and whose grandfather opened it.
Honey Hardware closed its doors in 2009. It had been in operation as a general store since around 1913, when the building was constructed. The building also housed the local VFW Hall and more. In the 1940s, the spaces became Darby Gambles.
In 1947, Rose’s grandfather, Lowell Honey, and his brother, O.T. Honey, decided to purchase the business from the same people that owned the Corvallis Gambles. Lowell moved to Darby from Thompson Falls, and he and O.T. called the space Honey Brothers’ Darby Gambles. O.T. sold his half of the business to Lowell in the late 1950s. Soon after, they moved to the current location. According to Rose, her grandparents hired her uncle’s class to move them down the street to the current location, at 107 N. Main Street.
Honey Hardware building, on Darby’s Main Street. Photo courtesy Rose Honey.
Lowell had three employees, including Joann Hart, Mrs. Satterlee and Mrs. Savochka. Over the years, other employees included locally known names like Goodrich, Hobblitt, Zeiler and Leavens. In 1975, Rose’s father, Paul, and mother, Kath, bought the store and began running it. According to Rose, her father remembers working the store as a kid, and remembers going to the post office at the southern half of the building early in the morning to collect newspapers to deliver around town when he was young.
The 109 N. Main Street section of the building was purchased and added later and it had an apartment in the back. Rose lived there from about two years old to about 12 years old. In 2009, the store finally closed as a hardware store, and by then it had simply become known as Honey Hardware.
The Honeys rented the space out from 2009 to 2024, and for those years it was a secondhand store. The business was sold in 2024, however, the buyer tried to continue running the store as a hardware store, but could not make the payments, so ownership fell back to the Honeys.
Interior of the old Honey Hardware store after the renovations. Photo courtesy Rose Honey.
Eventually, the business was inherited by Rose, who was excited to receive it. Her father is turning 85, and was tired of running the business, but for Rose, it was a step back in time. She spoke fondly of many cherished memories of the place.
The place had fallen into disrepair over the years, so Rose decided to renovate the place. She reached out to Bitterroot Valley Construction, and Jamie Van Blaricom, who was able to come out and work on the place. According to Rose, they had to redo the electrical, which was all original from the 1940s. They also installed a new roof, a new floor, new plumbing and added a bathroom.
Interior of the old Honey Hardware store prior to the renovations. Photo courtesy Rose Honey.
According to Van Blaricom, “Honey Hardware is a Darby landmark, and it was in pretty rough shape when we first started remodeling. It has been an absolute pleasure and I am proud that Bitterroot Valley Construction could help bring it back to life.”
When asked why she put so much effort into the place, Rose said, “It’s like my heritage. I feel like it’s important to preserve the history of Darby and the history of my family.”
She added that there was some talk over the sign, which Rose and others said is a key part of the Darby downtown vista. They believed it would be a shame for it to go. She polled the town and there was overwhelming support for the sign to stay where it is, so, the sign stays.
Rose was also interested in keeping the history of the place alive in whatever form it would take next. Fortunately, said Rose, the new renters that are interested are positive about keeping the historic prominence alive. The business may be a real estate office, with other parts to be used as community spaces, featuring the history of downtown Darby and the hardware store.
They are interested in displaying some old antiques from the original hardware store, including a nail scale that was the oldest still in operation in the state by the time it was retired in 2009.
According to Rose, they seem to see the history of the building as a draw and, “that makes me happy,” said Rose. “I have all this cool stuff and it would be neat for people to see it.”
There was an open house on Dec. 27, after the 107 N. Main Street location was renovated. At the open house, Rose saw people she grew up with who spoke of how they remember roller skating in the store at night and more. For Rose, and others involved, seeing Honey Hardware cleaned up and renovated has been like breathing new life into an integral part of the town of Darby.
Moving forward, plans are to renovate the outside, as well as the 109 N. Main portion of the building. For Rose, it’s all a chance to relive some memories, and restore the place she grew up in.
Richard L Sain says
Wow very nice story, I am 61 a graduate of Darby, my Father was a DIY man and growing up south of Conner there were a lot of trips to town with the family or by myself after I got my driver’s license for building supplies and materials and Honey Hardware was the place to go get what was needed.