This iconic piece of Hamilton’s proud history is meticulously restored and once again lit up.
A follow up to our previous BLOG: https://ledsolutions.ca/bright-lights-back-to-barton-street-hendrys-shoes-sign/
It all began in 1928 on Barton Street East, then a booming commercial strip in one of Canada’s leading economic centres: Hamilton, Ontario. Steeltown was churning out the steel and goods that built the country, and Barton Street was where the growing middle class did their shopping.
Hendry’s Shoes, with its bright art deco sign was a staple in the city for nearly 70 years as a part of what became a shoe empire that rose, fell, and reinvented itself like the city from which it came.
When Hendry’s closed up on Barton in 2009, it was expected that the brand was finished in Hamilton. Columnist Paul Wilson penned this sad piece a few years later, reflecting on the closure of the landmark store.
In a city with more guts than glory, anything is possible. And so, despite years of economic depression, the city began experiencing a renaissance as creatives, entrepreneurs, and idealists began investing in the neglected urban centre of the city once again in the early 2000s. While streets like Ottawa Street North, Locke Street, and James Street North soared rapidly, Barton Street proved a harder sell for investors.
Fortunately, a few locals found themselves inspired to reopen some of the shuttered shops on Barton Street. This was, after all, the neighbourhood their parents and even grandparents called home. In 2017, Hamilton native Peter Mokrycke decided that it was time to bring the Hendry’s name back into Hamilton’s vernacular. Peter had already opened Architect Hair Design (a barbershop, a bar, a meeting place) on James Street North, and was given the chance to open a second location by the new owners of the Hendry’s Shoes building. He named his second store Hendry’s Barbershop; a tribute to the legacy of the business that once operated in that Barton Street Storefront.
Thank you Pete and Hendry’s Barber Shop and all those who participated for trusting LED Solutions with such a great project!
Please check out our other amazing projects at www.ledsolutions.ca
