Ventura County Landmark No. 128: Fulkerson Hardware Store

Historical Background

The Fulkerson Hardware Store was built in 1925 but was originally established in 1912 by Jonathan Fulkerson. According to A Tour of Somis (Goldberg, 2021), the hardware store was not Jonathan’s first endeavor; he and his brother, James opened a blacksmith business in 1892, and later added the hardware store next door. The original wood framed store burned down 18 months after it was built, with local rumor suggesting the fire began when a cigar was tossed into the trash after a pinochle game (Goldberg, 2021).

Jonathan rebuilt the store next door to the original and then “built an addition on the foundation of the original store to house the growing collection of merchandise” (Goldberg, 2021).

Jonathan married Frances Hughes in 1892, and they had three children. Their son, Jonathan Jr., known as Jack, continued the store’s legacy after his father retired. Jack ran the store until 1977, remaining a steady presence in the community. The store has been through many ups and downs over the years and was even robbed once in 1971, when a safecracker blew open the safe, took $100.00, and then closed the inner safe door that none of the employees had the code to. The safe proved too expensive to hire someone to open, so it remains locked to this day (The Echo, 2015).

The Property Today

As of 2026, the Fulkerson family still owns and operates the hardware store. Jack’s son, Bob, continues many of the old traditions — he still rings up customers on a turn of the century push button brass cash register and uses the same scale his grandfather once relied on to weigh iron (Knight, 2006).

The store continues to be a beloved community staple and a natural gathering place for neighbors. The family also maintains the small museum in the back, filled with vintage artifacts that celebrate the store’s long history. The community is hopeful that the Fulkerson family will preserve and grow the store for generations to come (Knight, 2006)