TRURO - The economic heartbeat that for so long generated life into the old A.J. Walker's building is ticking once again.
Property co-owner Mona Legge is in the final stages of opening a western wear and supply store called Reining Western Wear & Tack.
The former hardware and lumber store closed at the end of February and the property has sat vacant ever since.
Besides the store Legge is opening, in the original portion of the former Walker's building, another business is also opening right beside her in the section that was previously used as showroom for bathroom supplies at the corner of Waddell and Prince streets.
After the hardware store closed Legge decided to create a new business based around her early memories and lifelong interests.
"I grew up on a farm. I've been around animals and horses all my life," she said. "So, it's like a personal passion too."
All western wear including jeans, checkered shirts, belts, buckles, boots, hats and jewelry will be available at the store, along with some western-themed home décor, stable supplies, horse shampoos, de-wormers, leather treatment supplies, among other items.
As well, Legge will be stocking cow hides and sheep skins, which she said can be used as wall decorations, area rugs for the floor or they can be cut up to be sewn into some other form.
"Some people actually cut them up to make pillows or whatever," she said.
And while she recognizes that there are other stores in the area that sell tack supplies, other outlets do not carry western clothing, Legge said.
"So I can see the need for that in our area," she said. "Now I have it."
An interesting factor that occurred during the renovations, she said, was when the store's interior was stripped back to expose the boards from the original Walker's store from long ago.
"And a lot of the older Walker's customers would be walking by and stop in and say how it's looking more like it used to years ago before they renovated or did upgrades," she said. "Because all those boards to the original Walkers store are underneath everything. So we just dug them out and brought them back."
The store takes up about 1,500 square feet of space and will employ four employees starting out.
Legge said she hopes to open the doors to the public by late this week, providing the rest of her supplies arrive in time.
"If everything comes in I'm hoping to open Friday."
