CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Owner of Pugh Furniture, Beth Pugh says she feels a great sense of nostalgia following the announcement the business will be closing its doors after over 100 years.
“People have been great, I’ve gotten all kinds of hugs and lovely comments, and people sending me notes and stuff, so it’s a bitter-sweet thing,” Pugh said.
Beth Pugh said on 580 Live with Dave Allen Tuesday that the furniture store in Charleston has a long history going back 108 years.
After starting as strictly a wholesale store in 1917, selling products primarily to coal camps and general stores, Pugh said they switched to retail in the 1970s. She said her husband’s grandfather originally opened the business.
After over 30 years of helping to run the store alongside her husband, Pugh said she made the decision to close down and enter retirement. She said her plan now is to start a new chapter of her life, to spend more time with her grandchildren and do some traveling.
Pugh said one aspect they have always enjoyed most of all while running the furniture store is giving back to the community.
“Always have loved doing your all’s Hope Room and we have done other things, we’re doing some school supplies for one organization, and you know, we do Toys for Tots and stuff like that, so we’ve always tried to give back, that was always very important to Steve and I,” she said.
The store is currently holding a sale to get rid of the rest of its inventory.
However, Pugh said although they are closing their doors for good, there is still some inventory that they will continue to sell.
“I think that we’re still going to maintain like the baby furniture and lift chairs and probably mattresses, but we’re scaling way down,” she said.
Pugh said they are grateful to the community for helping to support them after a century of business.