The original store was built in 1949 by Whitney Marchand. It operated under the name Marchand’s Floor Shop. The initial business was not operated as a retail store, but was used as a showroom for homes Whitney built. Once he retired from building houses, the showroom was transformed into a retail space. Marchand’s Building Specialties consisted of five departments: Hardware, Woodworks, Paints, Flooring, and Custom Picture Framing. Today, those departments have been condensed into three: Hardware, Flooring and Framing; and the current business operates under the name Marchand’s Interior and Hardware.