Remnants of 76-Year-Old Hudson Valley Business Being Given Away

If you want a piece of Hudson Valley history, you can claim some of the original furniture from a beloved Rhinebeck business that recently closed after 76 years.

A. L. Stickle Variety Store opened its doors on East Market Street in Rhinebeck back in 1947. For generations, the five-and-dime store barely changed. While the Village of Rhinebeck has transformed quite a bit, A. L. Stickle remained just as it did when it opened at the end of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. In April,the store announced that it would be closing its doors for good.

Shops like A. L. Stickle, where you could buy anything from a coffee maker to a child's toy to sewing supplies under the same roof used to be in every town across the country. Now, it seems as though the Rhinebeck store was the last of a dying breed.

Rhinebeck Store Taken Over by Real Estate Company

The A. L. Stickle building is now owned by Upstate Down, a local real estate company that brings together interior design, real estate brokerage and a home store. Owners Jon and Delyse Berry say they're "honored" to be moving into the historic space and look forward to continuing the tradition of running a family business out of the building.

As the couple transforms the former five-and-dime store, Delyse is looking to find a new owner for the antique displays that once held A. L. Stickle's inventory.

A posting on Facebook is offering the custom-built 1950s cabinets for free to anyone who is willing to take them away.

Images show the displays, wall shelves and cabinets of various sizes made from heavy wood. The ad says that they're being offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Those who are interested may need to disassemble the bulky furniture before transporting it.