After more than a century, local masonry business closing doors
For 118 years Russell Brothers Building Supply has operated in Washington, but it will come to an end today as the owner enters retirement.
David Russell was the third generation to run the West Wylie Avenue business, taking over after his father and grandfather before him.
Charles Russell, David Russell’s grandfather, opened the shop with his brother Norman Russell in March 1907.
“My grandfather and his brother were the original brothers. They both had jobs, and they quit their jobs to buy this little place here. They expanded over the years from going from selling feed and coal to building supplies. My dad went to college, and when got out of college and the Navy, he started here in, I believe, 1938,” Russell, 78, of South Strabane said.
Earle Russell, his father, ran Russell Brothers until his death in 1989.
Though Russell began working alongside his dad in 1983, taking over the family business was not always in the cards for him.
“I worked for a bank and a computer company for 12, 13 years before I came here. I always worked here in the summers and things like that,” Russell said.
At the time he started, Russell had been laid off, and his dad had to rebuild after a fire destroyed the original building. Since 1994, David Russell has worked alongside his son Jason.
Russell Brothers sells all manner of masonry materials and tools. In recent years, that hasn’t been their main selling product, however,
“It’s changed in the respect that we’ve sold a lot more aggregates, like for driveways, rather than more of the building supplies. About 10 years it kind of started changing where we sold less building materials and more aggregates,” Russell said.
He added that business slumped during the pandemic and never fully recovered.
“It has kind of been a downhill slide since COVID hit. I blame part of it on that,” Russell said.
Most of the business comes from what Russell described as “do-it-yourselfers” and home contractors.
“We sell a lot of concrete blocks for foundations and things like that … Not too much of the large-scale stuff,” Russell said.
According to Russell, he has sold the property to Insana Towing, which is located on Ohio Street in Washington.
Pam Russell, David’s wife, has mixed emotions as her husband prepares for retirement.
“It’s happy and sad, really, but it’s time,” Pam said. “I’d like him to enjoy a few years before we get too old and decrepit to do anything.”
David said he often reflects on the history of the business, and the time his father and grandfather devoted to it.
“It was their whole lives, and it was my whole life too,” Russell said, adding that he is grateful to those who helped keep it running for more than a century. “I’m just thankful for all of our customers, our former and present employees. It has been great. That’s where my friends are derived from now, our customer list. I’m going to miss the contact with them for sure.”