Beacon Paint & Hardware

Beacon Paint & Hardware was founded around 1900. The store started as Beacon Paint & Varnish Co., later changed to Beacon Paint & Wallpaper, and later to its current name. The store originally was located on the West side of Amsterdam Avenue, approximately where the florist is now. Around 1940, Beacon relocated to its present location – 371 Amsterdam Ave. Before becoming Beacon Paint, 371 Amsterdam Ave. was the home of an A&P supermarket. The rear of the store is where the supermarket kept the horse and buggy it used to make deliveries. In 1971, Mel Stark (who previously worked at now-defunct Long Island Paints) bought the store from then-owner Joe Sage. Mel had also worked at his father-in-law’s paint store on the East Side many, many years ago. Mel’s sons, Bruce and Steven, and daughter, Ellen, now run day-to-day operations; Ellen also serves as bookkeeper. Mel is now officially retired.Beacon\'s presence on Amsterdam Avenue has been steadfast, even as the neighborhood around it changed dramatically. Beacon’s previous neighbors included a New York City Sanitation Department office, an antiques store and even Beacon’s own art supply annex.