Opened in 1942, Pensacola staple Warrington Hardware & Marine to close after 80 years

Sometimes, all it takes is a personal touch to transform a business.

When Marilyn Gleaton took over as owner of Warrington Hardware & Marine nearly three years ago, the business was already well-known.

The hardware supply shop that first opened its doors in 1942 had long ago established itself as a fixture of Barrancas Avenue.

Marilyn's magic touch: Warrington Hardware and Marine continues to glow-up with renovations | New Business

Back in the day: Warrington Hardware a staple since 1942

But in September 2019, when Gleaton and her husband, Eric, bought the neighborhood staple, it was in a state of disrepair, housed in a deteriorating building with dwindling costumers and profit margins.

So, Marilyn Gleaton went to work. She transformed the dilapidated dinosaur of a business into a brightly-lit, modern incarnation of an old-timey general store.

She decorated the walls with antiques. She designed a series of constantly changing window displays, color-coordinated to the given season. Warrington residents showed their appreciation of the makeover with refreshed patronization of the store.

It now breaks her heart that the store has to close.

Warrington Hardware & Marine is set to shutter this year after 80 years. The exact closing date has yet to be determined.

The reason behind the Gleatons' decision to close was twofold: the economy and cancer.

The hardware store was generating a meager $150 in sales per week when the Gleatons purchased its property, and although recent sales dwarf what they were 2019, the business took a hit during the pandemic that dealt a lingering blow to the store's financial health.

'Career of love': Tutoring's a 'career of love' for Pensacola educator. Others are helping spread the love

More than red kettles:Salvation Army Pensacola's new leaders seek to improve each day

"It's very sad to see it close," Marilyn Gleaton said. "The Warrington community has been very supportive — as much as they could be. That particular area is a rather depressed area, and with the economy like it is and price of supplies going up, we couldn't charge a whole lot more."

Then, Gleaton received a life-threatening diagnosis in April. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy for stage 4 cancer.

"I'm very sad to see it closing," she said of the business. "I am very sad for our customers to not have that store available to them any longer. It's just that, like I said, my illness and my not being able to be there was just kind of the last straw."

The Davenports — a prominent Pensacola family after whom the Davenport Bayou is named — originally opened Warrington Hardware in 1942 on the north side of Barrancas Avenue.

Black and white advertisements for store in the 1950s boasted its location was "In The Heart Of Warrington."

Marcen Haag and a business partner purchased the store in 1962 before Haag eventually became its sole owner, and the store sold more than just hardware. Customers could purchase everything from baseball bats and gloves to hunting supplies that included guns.

Returning: The Rev. Geoffrey Lentz was born into First United Methodist Church. He returns as pastor

Marina Oyster Barn: The iconic Marina Oyster Barn is gone, but construction of a new restaurant is underway

Haag bragged to the News Journal in 1994 about his wide range of wares.

"Some of his 'odd ball' merchandize includes boxes filled with roller components for all types of closet or shower doors, facet parts, and even parts for pressure cookers," reads the April 21, 1994, edition of the News Journal. "Haag has even custom made faucet parts on his work bench in the back of the store. Customers can buy only the part or item they need."

The hardware store was moved to its current location on the south side of Barrancas Avenue when a roadway widening project threatened to constrict parking.

After a 41-year nursing career, Gleaton, now 67, had just retired as the executive director for Emerald Coast Hospice when she and her husband took over the store.

"When we first bought the store, most people thought it was closed because it was so terrible," she remembered. "You couldn't even see through the windows."

She added marine and garden sections to the shop, kept rows of plants outside its entrance and started selling wooden children's toys, hot coffee and fresh cookies to customers.

One of those customers, Chuck Woodhead, said he'll miss the place.

"Well, the thing is we're getting to the point of losing all the mom and pops and getting to more where we just have all the chain stores," Woodhead said. "I think you need to maintain the mom and pops, too, because they're the ones that have the roots and ties to the community and the people."

Eric Gleaton will miss not being able to stop in and see his wife in their store, in her element, decorating the windows.

"Basically what she really enjoyed about it was talking to the people, coming in and talking to these people who lived in the area, and she is really good at designing," he said. "She did the windows at every holiday — Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day  — and did a beautiful job."

Everywhere the couple went, people stopped them to comment about just how much they loved those window displays.

"The windows were beautiful," Eric Gleaton said.

Colin Warren-Hicks can be reached at colinwarrenhicks@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Warrington Hardware and Marine in Pensacola to close after 80 years