Courant reports that the last Plimpton’s will close soon

The store had been at its current location, 991 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, since 1938.

The closing of this store marks the official end of the Plimpton Manufacturing Company.

1. The article implies that the Plimpton’s was an office supply company that “expanded to several locations in the region before scaling back to one West Hartford location.” This is mostly true, although the company, Plimpton Manufacturing Company, and not Plimpton’s, opened the first store at its Hartford factory and then opened several other stores around the region. 
2. I’m still working on figuring out the exact relationship between the Plimpton Manufacturing Company and its several stores, but it does appear that the stores, at least initially, were an opportunity to sell direct to consumers in support of the manufacturing business. The stores then survived the company’s closure – but that’s yet to be researched.
3. Also, I know it’s a quibble, but Plimpton Manufacturing Company moved to Hartford in 1865. It was founded before that in Tolland County.

1. “The advent of Staples and Internet-based office supply companies prompted the business to evolve into a social stationer and add fine luggage and other products.”
2. Dan Zuckerman: “I think, eventually, Staples became a nonfactor because we became so different.  A lot of people sought us out for very specific things.”
3. “While most people now communicate using computers and smartphones, the special touch of a handwritten card is still something to treasure.”

Unattributed.  “Plimpton’s, a tradition in West Hartford, to close as owners retire,” Hartford Courant, November 26, 2014, accessed online January 13, 2025.