A beloved family-owned hardware store in the Unionville section of Farmington set to close its doors later this summer after more than 140 years.
At Parsons Hardware Friday, many customers came in not for supplies but goodbyes.
"It brings back many fond memories of shopping here with my father. He'd tell me when something broke you didn't throw it out you actually fixed it and you came to Parsons to fix it," Michael Campbell said.
For Campbell, the store stirs a flood of memorable times and he had to come from Canton to bid farewell.
The store now set to close in late August after a 143-year run.
"They say I can't believe you're closing oh my gosh what am I going to do," Owner Michael Parsons said.
Parsons said the decision is bittersweet but competing against the big hardware stores is a battle the family owned business just couldn't handle.
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"If you're not making enough to keep it going then there's no sense, we had to make a tough decision. I feel bad that we have to go and leave everybody," Parsons said.
With each farewell, Parsons is hoping to help customers keep a bit of the store with them.
While Parsons said he'll miss the people, it's time his family's beloved store to shut its doors.
"Sad but time to move on but you got to move on, you got to move on,"Parsons said.
