(9/25) Hobbs Hardware, an icon of Thurmont for over 77 years, closed its door permanently on September 22.

The closure comes three years after Michael and Eddie Hobbs sold the family business to Scott Austin, of New Market, owner of Thurmont’s Structural Building Solutions.

The closure came as a surprise to many of Hobbs’ regular customers. It was no secret that Eddie and Mike were ready to hang up their hammers, but long-time customers feared when that day would come, just as it did for the customers of Zurgable Brothers in Emmitsburg.

Over the years, the Hobbs brothers, just like the Zurgable brothers, built up a fiery-loyal customer base. This loyalty was not built on cheap prices, but exceptional customer service. The Hobbs brothers always greeted customers with first names, and if they were new customers, took the time to learn their first name.

If Mike and Eddie didn’t have what you were looking for, they would pick up the phone and call either Zurgable Brothers or NZ Cramers to find out if they had it, and if so, sent you on your way.

Forgot your wallet? That was no big deal to Mike or Eddie; your purchase was just jotted down in a book and added to your monthly bill.

No purchase was too big or too small for them. There was never a bait and switch. You never left their store thinking you could have saved money elsewhere. Sure, their nails cost a few cents more than Lowe’s or Home Depot, but when you factored in saving on time and gas, you always came out ahead shopping at Hobbs. And that was before adding in the benefits of shopping with someone you came to think of as a friend.

When the store was sold to Austin in 2020, and Mike and Eddie stayed on in a part-time basis, many regulars hoped the store had won a reprieve. And for a while, things looked good.

The store was completely remodeled, the once-bare shelves were soon overflowing with hardware, and the addition of a much-needed lumberyard made even thinking of a trip to Lowe’s "crazy talk."

But that is all history now. The reason for the sudden closure is a source of much speculation; some point to the frequent complaints related to large trucks carrying lumber entering and exiting the property, and blocking the road as they did.

Other says that the extension of life for the store was always temporary, and that from the start, its sale in 2020, was to make way for its eventual conversion into a restaurant that would be associated with a brewery that is in the works across the street.

What happens next, and when, will be the subject of much Town gossip. What is known for sure, however, is that a Thurmont icon, a gathering place where many friends and memories were made, is now closed.