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THE HISTORY OF
CASTLEBERRY’S, INC.
Harry Castleberry had worked, in some manner or means, in the
furniture industry for approximately 10 years as a deliveryman, a
retail floor salesman, a manufacturer’s representative, a retail
chain-store manager and a sales promoter. On a cold, fall evening in
the early 1960’s when Harry was conducting a sale for a client in El
Paso, Texas, the three-story home in which his parents had lived
caught fire and burned to the ground. Witnesses said they had seen
vagrants going into the house, which was being renovated, and building
fires in the fireplaces trying to keep warm during the cold nights.
Harry and his wife, Becky, had
two sons, Cooper and Stan. As an infant, Stan had an accident that
resulted in a brain injury. The complications of the injury were very
demanding and with Harry’s job taking him out of town for weeks at a
time, Becky had more than she could handle. The insurance settlement
from the fire gave Harry an opportunity to open his own store, stay in
town, and help Becky with Stan. He took that opportunity, and in 1962
opened Castleberry’s Furniture Showroom at 113 West Shepherd in
Lufkin, Texas.
The store was small by anyone’s
standards, and as the business began to grow, he quickly needed more
space. So, in 1963, he rented the building next door, cut an opening
in the adjoining wall and doubled the size of the store. But, in just
a couple of years, he had outgrown that as well. In 1965, the largest
hardware store in Lufkin went out of business and freed up a larger
building just a block from the store’s present location. Plus, it was
dead center of downtown Lufkin...a prime location. That summer, the
store moved to 118 South First St. Again, the store prospered and,
again, that store became too small. Almost ten years had passed and a
much larger store at 112 East Burke became vacant. Ironically, Harry
had managed a furniture store in that very location, Hemingway’s
Furniture, a chain based in Shreveport. Unknown to anyone else, Harry
had once sat in that building, managing the store for someone else,
wondering how he could ever afford to own a store of his own. When he
moved his store into that location, things had come full-circle.
The years on Burke Street would
see the biggest changes in the history of the business up to that
point. His son, Cooper came in as a full-time employee. Cooper
married Julie Noland, and her influence started being felt. A second
location, Castleberry’s Outside-In Shoppe, specializing in patio and
rattan furniture opened in 1976, and sales soared to all-time
heights. Monthly sales figures equaled annual sales figures of just a
few years earlier. The sales volume was exploding!
Castleberry’s, Inc. was now 13
years old and had always leased its buildings. It was time to step
out and own their location. A piece of property was available on
Frank Street, the second busiest street in Lufkin. Harry entered into
negotiations and eventually bought the property. It was a perfect
spot. Since virtually all of the furniture stores of Lufkin were in
the downtown area, this property, just two blocks west of downtown,
allowed Harry and Cooper to build a state-of-the-art furniture store,
and still be located in the downtown area. In 1981, after closing
Castleberry’s Outside-In Shoppe, Harry and Cooper built their
permanent site and both stores were combined to form Castleberry’s
Furniture Center located at 316 West Frank. This move placed them at
the top of the retail furniture stores of, not only Lufkin, but also
the entire East Texas region. Harry and Cooper were receiving
industry recognition from trade associations like Homefurnishings
International, and Harry even wrote a book that was sold nationally,
Furniture Operator’s Manual.
In 1991, a second location was
acquired at 1702 South First in Lufkin and the Castleberrys opened the
Furniture Factory Outlet. It was ahead of its time in that the
“outlet craze” had not yet blossomed. The concept was to buy seconds
and discontinued merchandise from various manufacturers and offer that
merchandise at huge discounts.
In the early 90’s, Harry’s health
began to fail. He would be in and out of hospitals in both Lufkin and
Houston on a regular basis, and sadly, in 1998, he died. With the
added responsibilities placed on Cooper because of the death of his
dad, Julie stepped in and took over much of the buying. Business
continued to increase and Castleberry’s Furniture Center continued to
be a dominating force in the East Texas furniture market.
In the early morning hours of
October 18, 2005, the telephone ringing awakened Cooper and Julie. A
voice on the other end said he had heard that fire trucks had been
dispatched to Castleberry’s Furniture on Frank Street. They quickly
dressed and went to the store only to find their worst nightmare. The
store, as well as the work of two generations, was going up in
flames. There they stood, stunned and shocked for hours as they
watched the unimaginable unfold before their eyes. As morning dawned
and word spread of the disaster, friends came by to offer their
support. The entire operation was moved to the “Outlet” store at 1702
South First, and Cooper and Julie pondered the future and what their
next move should be.
What can we offer that is
unique? What do East Texans want that is not readily available? How
can we separate ourselves from the crowd? Hours of discussions and
prayer would bring Cooper and Julie to the conclusion that there was
not a store in the area that offered decorating consulting in the
customer’s home. National chain stores like Pottery Barn, Restoration
Hardware, Crate and Barrel and Williams-Sonoma were offering clean,
youthful classics that East Texans were hungry for, but those stores
were not in East Texas and, for many people, not affordable. Their
mission was suddenly clear.
On May 15, 2006, Castleberry’s
Furniture Showroom reopened in the newly remodeled store at 1702 South
First Street under the original name created by Harry back in 1962.
The store specializes in the “Pottery Barn” look at very affordable
prices. In-home consultations are free of charge to assist you in
decorating your home or office. With access to major manufacturers,
no look or style is beyond reach or budget. Home decorating can be
very confusing and intimidating, but using our expertise can ease your
anxiety and make decorating your home fun and exciting. We are there
waiting to serve you.
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