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Eagle Rock Intersection Dubbed ‘Tritch Family Square’ To Honor Historical Hardware Store
Members of the Tritch family, including Glenn, Ashleigh, and Teresa, in front of the "Tritch Family Square" permanent ceremonial signs installed above the Eagle Rock intersection where their hardware store has served customers for nearly 80 years on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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The city of Los Angeles honored the Tritch family and their historic Eagle Rock hardware store, Tritch True Value Hardware, by officially designating the Colorado Boulevard and Townsend Avenue intersection as “Tritch Family Square” on Thursday.
Dozens of people from the Eagle Rock community joined at least eight Tritch cousins, daughters, and brothers for the sidewalk ceremony organized by Councilmember Kevin de León’s office, whose 14th district includes much of Northeast Los Angeles.
Tracy Ann DeVore, owner of KnowRealityPie on Colorado Boulevard, told LAist, with tears welling in her eyes, that the Tritch family has been a wonderful support system for the entire community.
“They deserve to have this honor, we love them dearly,” she said.
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Not just any hardware store
Tritch True Value Hardware has been helping people with nails, tools, and other hardware needs from the tan, two-story building for nearly 80 years.
Robert Sihler told LAist he’s been stopping by the store his whole life, even attending the funeral services for a few of the previous owners. Sihler said the store will still let him keep a tab running on a piece of paper, a service that’s only offered to longtime customers, he said.
“They don't do that at Home Depot or Lowe's or any other hardware store,” he said. “And there's very few hardware stores left in the L.A. area. It's very, very rare.”
Eric Warren, author and curator of the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society, told LAist he came out to support the Tritch family as the permanent ceremonial signs were installed because that’s what he’s always done.
Warren said he remembers visiting the store about 65 years ago with his father, and he’s since bought hardware supplies from just about every Tritch owner and operator that’s come through.
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“This is a wonderful local place,” he said. “They're willing to give you good advice. They're willing to loan you tools. They're willing to provide you with the right part, just generally a great contributor to the neighborhood.”
Glenn Tritch, the current third-generation owner and operator of Tritch True Value Hardware, addresses the crowd ahead of the ceremonial sign unveiling on Thursday, June 20 , 2024.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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How the family feels
Ashleigh Tritch is the daughter of Glenn Tritch, the current third-generation owner and operator of Tritch True Value Hardware. She told LAist she learned basic math skills running the register with her father, and she’s looking forward to bringing her sons to “Tritch Family Square.”
“The hardware store has been like another home to me, and to see how many people absolutely just adore my family’s store ... it's amazing,” she said.
Glenn Tritch told LAist they’re part of the fabric of the community, both as a business and as a family, and the number of people that showed up to support them Thursday morning was beyond his expectations.
“I'm feeling so happy right now,” Glenn Tritch said. “I also feel like I'm in the eye of the hurricane with everything, you know, just taking this all in and enjoying the moment and feeling really honored, and really appreciated and loved.”
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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