Henry H. Hildreth III by R.B. Stuart

Being the gatekeeper has its dichotomy, “It’s very honorable and at the same time very stressful,” Hildreth admitted. “My life was probably laid out infront of me by my parents before I was born. They wanted me to come into the family business. But there’s a lot of competition out there, and it’s up to me to keep the business going.”

With over a century in retail, Hildreth’s, the landmark of the Hamptons, has been able to create a one-stop shopping experience for its customers. By blending quality merchandise whether classic, modern or elegant, they offer every piece imaginable to furnish your home with quality, luxury and beauty. No matter what the need, they have it, from furniture, bed and bath, housewares, lamps to fabrics and curtains, nursery and mattresses. And they price according to everyone’s wallet, ‘good, better, best’ pricing. Once you enter the antiquated, creaky floored building, you are carried along by the wave of their rich history peppered throughout the store. You could easily spend the entire day meandering about…and that’s just what some do, as Hildreth’s has now become a Hamptons destination.

And it all started in 1635 when Richard and Thomas Hildreth emigrated from England and settled in Lynn, Massachusetts. Five years later, Thomas left Massachusetts and settled on Long Island. The LI Hildreths are direct descendents of Joseph, son of Thomas Hildreth. Joseph Hildreth V's son, Lewis Hildreth, started Hildreth's store in Southampton on October 1842. All merchandise for the store came by ship to Sag Harbor, and then was carted to Southampton by horse and wagon. In 1870 Lewis contacted small pox and died leaving his wife, Amanda and her two sons, Edgar and Henry, to run the store.

By 1914, Leon Pelletreau Hildreth took over the management of the store. Leon was the son of Henry H. Hildreth and Mary Jagger. Leon was married to Eunice Raynor in 1913 and they had two children, Henry Halsey Hildreth II and Eunice Hildreth. Although Leon's son, Henry, took over as president of the company in 1960, Leon remained active in the store until 1972. Henry Halsey Hildreth II married Mary Ann Burnett in 1953 and they had two children, Henry Halsey Hildreth III and Abbie Burnett Hildreth.

In 1978, after graduating from Susquehanna University, the 22 year-old economics major Henry III joined his father at Hildreth's. “I was doing real estate a few days a week and working in the warehouse the other days. Then one day I saw a piece of furniture in the warehouse with the tags still on it, with a delivery date stamped on it of 1965. I called the warehouse manager and informed him that the piece of furniture had been sitting there for 13 years, but he wasn’t concerned. So, I realized then that I had better get involved since the piece of furniture had become an antique just sitting there. And that’s when I stepped back from real estate,” he explained. Henry III became President of Hildreth's in 1990 and his father, Henry II, passed away in 1992.

With merely 30 years in the company, Henry III has helped anchor the family business in the Hamptons community by expanding the store. In 1980 he began rebuilding the store and underwent a six-year project to expand the warehouse to 40,000 sq. ft. In 1984 he added a furniture annex, in 2001 opened a 12,000 sq. ft. East Hampton store, “Hildreth's Home East,” and in 2006 a 7,000 sq ft. “Patio and Clearance Center” in Southampton.

And Mattituck may be in the horizon, as he regularly fields letters from customers requesting a North Fork location. But as far as a LI chain, “I would have said yes 15 years ago. But at this point bigger is not always better. Maybe a brother or sister store…but not a chain…it’s too cold of a word.”

He is aware of the impact his store has had in the community over the generations, “We’re a local store hiring local people…giving back to the community. We still represent small town American in a posh, high-end town. Our furniture, our dining room tables, have been a part of many important decisions, as the families sit around them for years to come. Having dinner, talking, sharing their troubles, spending their lives, and celebrating victories. Who knows…we may have launched many memories on our beds, as well as giving people a place of comfort for 20 years,” he jested.

As the 7th generation of Hildreth’s to be at the helm, what he loves about the family endeavor, “A lot of people like what we sell, and like to come here, whether they buy something or not.” But in order to unplug from the business, “I have to be totally out of the country and without cell phone coverage, and last time that happened was 30 years ago. The business is always there and I can never shirk from my responsibilities, so it can be stressful.” The legacy he hopes to leave his children is the ability to walk down the street with their head held high, knowing they offered something at the best price possible.

Of his wife of 12 years, Colleen, he says she is, “my life and breath and I can look into her eyes and see unconditional love.” They have three children, 10 year-old Kailey, 8 year-old Sayre, and 6 year-old Henry IV. “My wife and the smiling faces of my kids make it worth getting up in the morning.” Colleen manages the “Patio and Clearance Center,” and already you can spot the kids milling about lending a hand. “It’s extremely important to me that the business continues on, but I don’t want them to feel burdened to it,” he reflects. “My life’s dream for them is to keep it going. But it can be a very stressful job on a day-to-day basis. If you don’t have a lot of good people around you, it can be daunting but very pleasurable.”

Henry III just turned 51 last week, even though he could have another 25 years left in his career, does he see himself retiring. “As I get older I like to keep my hands involved. I love advertising, and the reaction it begets. For the last 25 years I’ve come in six days a week. In the past one to two years I’ve cut my hours back. As my family has grown I’d rather spend time with them at home.”

He says his father was rarely home, even on the weekends he was always working since the busiest day of the week in retail is Saturday. “I understand now that you can still get a lot done without being at the office. I’m always on the clock, and good at delegating, but still working 60 – 70 hours a week. Sometimes I have ideas at 3 AM and grab a pen and paper next to my bed and jot them down. So, actually I’m working 24 hours a day.”

If his family wasn’t in retail Henry thinks he would have become a surf bum. He was a professional lifeguard for six years and taught swimming in college, and every year he does the Polar Bear Plunge. “The water is in my blood…I love it. Everyday I have to walk along the beach or wade through the waters edge. I love anything to do with the water, be it surfing, sailing, fishing, kayaking, boats, swimming and knee boarding. But I’m not good at any of them,” he scoffed. That sentiment seems to only apply to water sports, since he is a successful CEO at the oldest and largest interior and exterior home furnishings store in the Hamptons.

Visit all of the Hildreth’s Store locations in Southampton at 51 Main Street, in East Hampton at 109 Pantigo Road, and Patio Center at 15 West Main Street in Southampton, call 1-800-INC-1842, or visit them online at www.hildreths.com.

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R. B. STUART is a New York author, freelance writer, and columnist whose first love is poetry and letters. She specializes in human interest stories, artist profiles, essays, and memoir. In her two blogs she attempts to quench her search for truth: http://writingsbyrbstuart.blogspot.com and http://sistersoldier.blogspot.com. She can be contacted by email at rbsnywriter@hotmail.com.