Lyon & Billard Co. Office, 1890
MakerMade by
H. Wales Lines Company
American, 1864 - 1983
Date1890
MediumPhotography; albumen on paper in cardboard album covers
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 9 1/4 x 7 1/4in. (23.5 x 18.4cm)
Other (overall height x width): 11 1/2 x 8 1/4in. (29.2 x 21cm)
Other (overall height x width): 11 1/2 x 8 1/4in. (29.2 x 21cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
DescriptionPhotograph of the Lyon and Billard Company office. A two story Italianate style brick building with a square tower on the left side. Iron porch on second floor. Stone foundation. At the top of the building is a small sign that says, "The Lyon & Billard Co." Steps lead up to an entrance on the side of the building. Paved sidewalk and dirt road.
Object number2015.149.1.44
InscribedRecto, handwritten in black ink: "Lyon & Billard Co. Office, 1890"Recto, handwritten in pencil: "Meriden"NotesFrom: The Lyon & Billard Lumber Co. website
"Established in 1847, Lyon & Billard is a family owned and operated business. Lyon & Billard has been serving the Meriden area since its inception over 150 years ago.
John D. Billard moved from Old Saybrook to Meriden to join George W. Lyon in the lumber business, forming the famous Lyon & Billard. In 1878, Lyon & Billard incorporated the lumber company. Billard held the office of president until his death in 1902. His son, John L. Billard, succeeded him.
Although Lyon & Billard is a family company, there are currently no family ties with the original founders. In 1923, A.J. White, president of the Tuxis Metal and Coal Co. and the Elm City Coal Co., bought Lyon & Billard for $600,000. In 1926, Fred H. Billard, son of John L., bought some of the stock and became a director, re-establishing the Billard name with the company, at least for a while.
In the 1940s, Leonard Goralnik and Leonard Katz acquired the company from A.J. White, a relative by marriage. Today, the Goralnik family still owns and operates Lyon & Billard, with Edd Goralnik as President.
The company was once a major distributor of anthracite coal in the early 20th century. In the mid-1930s, Lyon & Billard secured the Meriden area dealership for “electric Furnace Man,” a thermostatically controlled automatic apparatus for operating a furnace, including feeding coal into the firebox and removing the ashes.
Lyon & Billard was one of the first to enhance the look of Meriden’s downtown area when, in 1957, the company completely remodeled its premises with large plate glass windows, attractive exterior, well-illuminated interior, air conditioning, modern display areas, and offices.
In 1974, a then 50-year-old coal silo in the yard of Lyon & Billard was torn down to make room for the firm’s ever-expanding lumberyard. But by 1989, Lyon & Billard had completely outgrown its Hanover Street location—its home since 1947. The Goralniks moved their Meriden lumberyard to Gypsy Lane, adding about another acre.
Today, Lyon & Billard has 5 locations, lumberyards in Meriden, Cheshire, East Hampton and Berlin, a Kitchen & Bath Showroom and model home in the Galleria Design Center in Middletown."
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