Dateline: Mar. 15, 2026

The Venerable Old Hardware Store

The oldest hardware store company in America gave up one of its decades-old stores at the corner of Routes 3 & 28 in Allentown, NH. But the story doesn't end there.

Some wheeling and dealing was executed by Spiros Athanas, a New Hampshire real estate investor. When Aubuchon Corp. put the Allenstown store up for sale in 2023, he bought it and then leased it to McDonald's Corp. When Rite Aid Corp. declared bankruptcy in the summer of 2025, he bought the Allenstown store and leased it to Aubuchon.

Thus in January 2026, Aubuchon Ace Hardware re-opened for business in a brand spanking new store that was miles beyond the design and layout of the old store. See the Aubuchon Ace Hardware 2.0 story for details and a video tour.

The New State-of-the-art Aubuchon Ace Hardware Store

Just before the March Election Day, a demolition crew tore down the old building and reduced it to piles of rubble.

Reduced to piles of rubble

A short distance away, an excavator was busy digging up the old parking lot pavement.

Removing the old paving material

What You Can Do

Enjoy shopping at the New Aubuchon Ace Hardware Store. Don't miss the Grand Opening scheduled for Friday March 27.

If hungry, go across Route 3 to the new Dunkin' Shop for coffee and a pastry, or go to Mari-Vin's Deli around the right side for a sub, pizza, or other specialties. They recently installed a bar for serving beer and wine and a row of tables and chairs for dining in.

Keep an eye on the old Aubuchon site as they prepare to build the new McDonald's Restaurant.