After 115 years in business, John's Shoe Hospital is set to close in mid-June after the property at 828 Central Ave. was purchased by a local company.
The shoe repair store was started in 1908 by John Walknowitz and was subsequently taken over by his son, Joe.
In 1955, a 15-year-old by the name of David Garner was hired at the store and learned the business. He eventually took over the shop and has continued the legacy until today.
Several buildings on the 800 block of Central Avenue were purchased on March 17 by My Red Annie 32 LLC, according to a spokesman. The company is giving Garner 90 days to complete his work and close up shop.
My Red Annie 32 LLC also purchased 831 and 833 Central Ave. through Urban Living and Development, Inc., a local real estate company.
Additional information has been requested from the company regarding their plans for the properties, but it had not responded by presstime.
"Actually, I feel relieved," Garner said. "Really, I was kind of hunting a way to get out anyway. I feel like I've been here enough."
Garner taught his son the skills he learned all those years ago, although according to him, he "can do better" and has moved on to another career. He has also trained several other young people while they were school-aged in the ways of old-fashioned shoe repair.
Yet, most days he works alone, sometimes being helped by Paul Lambert, another local shoe repairman. Lambert, who has also owned shoe shops of his own, uses his day off to help Garner from time to time.
"This is a get-rich slowly program," Garner said.
Garner said he plans to take new repair jobs until the end of the month, after which time he will work on completing his remaining jobs and getting ready for the closing date. He noted some of the difficulty is getting people to come settle their bill and pick up their shoes in a timely fashion.
After the closing date, Garner said he plans to take a few months off, but may put another small shoe repair shop at his home or at another location available to him. He does not plan to work full-time on the shoes again.
"I've got options," he said. "We just don't have any shoe shops in the area, it don't look like. That's a shame, those expensive shoes, they need to repair them."
Looking back on 68 years as a cobbler, he laments that there's nothing to replace this dying art in our throwaway generation. Still, he cherishes the memories and looks forward to his retirement.
"It's been a good life," Garner said. "It's not no big moneymaker, but it's a good living, and raising a family."
Paul Lambert, another area cobbler, uses his day off to assist David Garner at John's Shoe Hospital Tuesday. - Photo by Lance Brownfield of The Sentinel-Record