Sam Zeskind opened Zeskind’s Hardware in Baltimore, Maryland in 1925.
His wife Rose and their four daughters lived above the store for many years as Zeskind’s grew to become a fixture in the community.
About Us
Four Generations of Family Business
Zeskind’s Hardware Opens in 1925
Woodlawn Paint and Hardware Opens
Their oldest daughter Miriam married Irvin Miller in 1941, and after his return from WWII, they opened Woodlawn Paint and Hardware. After having two children, Irvin passed away at a young age and the Woodlawn store was sold. In the 1960’s, Miriam and Irvin’s son, Rick, worked with his grandfather at Zeskind’s. As a teenager, he stocked shelves, repaired windows and screens, and waited on customers. By the early 1970's, after 50 years in the business and with the neighborhood falling into hard times, Sam was looking to retire.
Rick Sr. & Deborah Take Over Zeskind’s Hardware
In 1973, Rick Sr. and his wife Deborah (Debi) offered to purchase Zeskind’s Hardware. They took over the fledgling retail store, and in the following years turned it into an extremely successful company, re-establishing Zeskind's as a cornerstone of the Carrolton Ridge community. Year in and year out for 50 years, Rick Sr. worked behind the counter, loaded customers, and served the public at Zeskind’s– as he still does today. Unmatched in his knowledge, he provides customers with excellent service and a detailed knowledge of hardware products for the Baltimore row home.
As he and Debi expanded their business and purchased more buildings for additional material storage, Zeskind’s became the go-to place in Baltimore for roofing products and specialty hardware.
Rick Jr. Joins the Family Business
Rick Sr. and Debi's son, Rick Jr., began working in the Baltimore City store at age 13, repairing windows and screens, cutting keys, stocking shelves and waiting on customers. Working whenever he could for the family business all the way through college, Rick Jr. learned the hardware business from his parents. In 2008, after spending seven years working in the millwork industry, Rick Jr. decided to join the family business full time and grow it into a one-stop shop for customers to find all of their hardware and millwork needs in one place. In the years since, Zeskind’s has grown from three employees to over 50, added over 120,000 square feet of warehouse and office/showroom space, five delivery trucks, a custom interior and exterior door shop, a custom millwork shop, and another retail location in Severna Park, MD after acquiring Clement Hardware (now Park Hardware).
Rick Jr.’s wife Joni and his two children also take part in the family business, adding a fifth generation to the store’s line. The Millers live and go to school in the community around Park Hardware, and are proud that the store has become the area's trusted source for hardware and millwork materials in central Maryland, and beyond.