This building used to be Hecht’s Hardware Store, begun by Emanuel Hecht and Jacob “Jake” Hecht in the early 1950s. They were members of the same family that opened the Hecht Hotel at 667 Green Street around 1890, and also owned other properties. David Seibert worked in Hecht’s Hardware from 1961 for several years. Although Jake Hecht owned the store, David said that people asked for Jake’s sister, Hannah Hecht, when they came in because she knew where everything was. Brian Pruitt also used to work there and William Pyle got a job in Hecht’s when he turned 16. He stayed for six years, saying it was a “great job and great family.”

Hecht’s Hardware sold power tools, paint, garden supplies, housewares, and electrical appliances. They also did sheet metal work and sold toys on the second floor in the popular “Toyland,” that at Christmastime became Santaland, full of toys. Kay Pearson Keetley remembers gratefully that in the 1960s, Jake Hecht was the first person who allowed her to put a Christmas gift on layaway and pay for it a little at a time.

Michael Boyd and his late wife, Alice, owned this building for a couple of years beginning in 1978 and ran “Mike’s Home Supply Center” on the first floor. From 1981 to 2006, the building was owned by Art and Ann Helton with Gary E. Dennis Antiques on the first floor. In 2006 the building was purchased by Bruce and Sherifa Clarke who created the Laurrapin Grill and Laurrapin Catering. They joined this building to their property at 209-211 North Washington Street. In January 2017 the Clarkes sold the Laurrapin Grill restaurant business to two of their employees, Christina Sciarra, Executive Chef, and Janice Rogers, General Manager, while Bruce continued to operate Laurrapin Catering. The new owners named their restaurant, Lagom, meaning “to be happy with just enough” love and spices. To the surprise of a lot of customers, Lagom closed its doors in May 2019.

The Clarks continue to own the two buildings, now connected, and Bruce opened the River City Public House here in spring 2020 while continuing to run Laurrapin Catering. See 209 North Union Avenue for a discussion of that building.

County Records
Built 1900. 3840 sq ft, commercial restaurant, 4224 sq ft lot.