Need help editing articles? Start out with the new Introduction to Editing Articles Video.
Black Lumber
| Type | Hardware; Lumber; Building supplies |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Location | 1710 S. Henderson (S. of Hillside) |
| Phone Number | (812) 332-7208 |
| Hours | M-F 7:30-5; Sa 7:30-4 |
Black Lumber is a Bloomington hardware store, building supplies dealer and primarily a lumber yard. It is part of the Do-It-Best buying cooperative: each Do-It-Best store is independent but they collectively share purchasing power and warehouse distribution.
They have the common hardware store lines such as tools and tape, but unlike many other Bloomington hardware stores, they have home improvement and building lines such as shower fixtures and other large items. They also have, obviously, an extensive lumber selection which other hardware stores do not.
History
Black Lumber, a local lumber company, was started by Joe Black in 1928. Partnering with Roy Metzger, Black furnished large quantities of lumber to government agencies throughout the 1930's, and made many wooden wartime products during World War II.
Black and members of his family had worked for the Allen A. Wilkinson Lumber Co. in Sullivan in the early 20's.
In 1943 the company purchased the W.V. Jennings Lumber Co. of Sullivan at 214 W. Wall Street. That site remained in operation until 2001, surviving a fire in the late 1950's and a tornado in the early 1960's. Other sites were operated in Greencastle and Bedford.
Roger Black, a nephew of Joe Black, joined the company as a partner in 1936. Metzger sold his interest in the company in 1945, and Joe Black Jr., already a member of the Bloomington City Council, became a partner in the late 1940's.
Afterward the war, the company began to supply materials to private interests, and had a large planer mill at its Madison Street location.
The company later moved to south Henderson Street where their store and yard remain to this day. Chief Executive Officers included Bill Carmichael and Tom Black. Charley Taylor was chairman for many years. The name remains "Black Lumber" despite being frequently called "Black's Lumber."
