Landmark in Oyster Bay, Destroyed By Fire in January 2005, Set to Re-Open

Reconstructed with a Focus on Sustainable Building

Oyster Bay, New York, March 3, 2007 – The Nobman family announced today that Nobman’s Hardware Emporium, their newly rebuilt retail hardware and home goods specialty store in downtown Oyster Bay, has re-opened. 

The Road to Reconstruction

In the early morning hours of January 24^th, 2005, the building that had been the home of Nobman’s Hardware Emporium since 1910 was destroyed by fire.  The loss of the historic building and of Nobman’s Hardware was devastating to the Nobman family and to the larger community.  Family owned and operated since inception, Nobman’s Hardware was steadily expanding under its fifth generation proprietor, Derrick Nobman at the time of the fire.  Despite this loss, the Nobman family has spent that last two years rebuilding. 

For more than 95 years Nobman’s Hardware has been a fixture of the community, and a prominent driver of business and foot traffic in downtown Oyster Bay.  The Nobman family pledged to remain in Oyster Bay and to restore this community icon, even while the ashes were still smoldering.  The official opening, which took place on Friday February 23^rd, 2007, was the long anticipated culmination of two years of hard work on the part of the Nobman family to keep that promise to their neighbors – and to the employees who were such an integral part of the business – with the support of the local government and community.

Proprietor Derrick Nobman: “Our family was devastated by the loss of the building, particularly my Grandfather, Walter R. Nobman, Sr., who owned and ran Nobman’s for 40 years with his brother in law George Hammond.  We have had quite a ride getting the building back up and running, and consistent with today’s code, but we are glad to be back in Oyster Bay. We plan to dedicate the building to my Grandfather “Pops” who passed last year but was himself, along with my Grandmother Elizabeth Nobman, a fixture of the Oyster Bay community.

The Return of a Unique Retail Experience

Nobman’s Hardware is a full-service hardware, home furnishings and specialty store serving Oyster Bay and the outlying communities with products of exceptional quality at competitive prices, and with outstanding customer service.  Customers can once again count on Nobman’s to provide them with a unique blend of merchandise, including everyday hardware and home improvement supplies, a new selection of interior decorative hardware for cabinetry and doors, specialty housewares and the handmade works of local artisans. Nobman’s will again feature custom designed and painted estate signs, handcrafted driftwood furniture and interior accents, custom made bird houses and feeders, and meticulously reproduced custom prints of Long Island’s many lighthouses.

A Gold Coast Relic

Oyster Bay is an historic center on the North Shore of Long Island with history dating as far back as the pre-colonial era.  Known for its central location on Long Island’s Gold Coast, Oyster Bay was home to the great estates of the Industrial Revolution era captains of industry, and to former US President Theodore Roosevelt.  Nobman’s began its long history as a supplier to the large estates owned by these historic figures.  The Nobman’s Hardware tradition is imbued with a sense of this history, and to the residents of the area, Nobman’s represents one of the last remaining relics of the Gold Coast – a source of continuity through the generations. 

Because the Nobman’s Hardware building has tremendous historic and sentimental value to the community, and is such a visible part of the downtown streetscape, a great deal of effort was put into reconstructing the building to preserve the character of Oyster Bay’s traditional waterfront community, while focusing on the challenges that lie ahead.  

Building for the Future of Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay’s proximity to the many beaches, estuaries, marshes and other important natural features that characterize the north coast of Long Island makes an emphasis on helping to preserve these treasures an imperative. Building with a focus on sustainability, the Nobman family succeeded in using green materials and practices through the many phases of construction. The new building features durable composite clapboard siding in place of traditional wood clapboard; a recycled composite that resembles slate tiling utilized on the exterior steps and as an interior decorative accent; and an efficient solar powered radiant heating and cooling system.

Property Owner Richard Nobman: “We wanted to build a building that complemented the downtown and retained the character of the old building.  We also wanted to build the greenest building possible within our budget.  The net result is a great new building designed to carry us through the next 100 years of business.  We are thrilled to be back!”

Looking Forward for Nobman’s Hardware

Nobman’s Hardware is dedicated to providing its customers with hardware, home furnishings and artisinal products of exceptional quality. Nobman’s unrivaled commitment to solid craftsmanship and extraordinary customer service has made it a fixture of the Oyster Bay community, and has contributed to its ability to compete with the large home centers and big box retailers that have sprung up throughout the area since the early 1990s. This dedication provides a strong foundation for Nobman’s Hardware to continue to build new shared community experiences around downtown Oyster Bay as a link between its past and future.  Nobman’s looks forward to serving the needs of its customers, and after nearly a century of service its policy remains, ‘We strive everyday to exceed your expectations!’

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Please visit the Nobman’s Hardware website, in the process of being updated, at www.nobmanshardware.com. Feel free to contact Derrick Nobman at 516-922-6233 with any questions, or if you would like any additional information.