Some things change; some remain the same. Fountain Pen Hospital (FPH), founded in 1946 and located in lower Manhattan's government-financial district, has been owned by the Wiederlight family since its inception. There have been three locations all in the same neighborhood while the business has undergone various incarnations: fountain pen repair and sales, general office products, and a return to its roots 40 years ago with the revival of hand-held writing instruments. FPH is an established institution with customers throughout the world, but change must come to all things. Commerce and retailing follow a natural path, as do all aspects of evolution. And time continues forward.
Fountain Pen Hospital has been sold. Its current owners, Terry and Steve Wiederlight, grandsons of the founder and sons of its co-founder, have worked in the business all of their adult lives. In fact, they began as teenagers. Their children, the fourth generation, have worked in the store, but have chosen different careers.
As Terry said recently, "It's time to move on. We are ready for a rest. This business, this store has been my life for the past 65 years. I'm ready to relax, but Fountain Pen Hospital will remain."
Soon, FPH will join The Pen Family, owner of some of the most recognized and respected brands in the writing instruments industry. Steve will retire; Terry will remain as a senior consultant. The business will continue in its present location at 10 Warren Street, a few steps north of Wall Street. And the staff we have come to rely on through years of patronage, people whom we may never have met but whose voices we recognize when we call they are staying on, continuing their dedicated service to long-time pen people and first-time customers as they have done for decades.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2023 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Show Your Summer Style
The newest Visconti Homo Sapiens, Iris Garden, is a tribute to the beautiful irises that bloom each spring in Florence, Italy's Iris Garden.
Good Made Better Keeps Getting Better
SUZANNE C. LEE tests Dan Keller's wood and metal reading and writing accessories and finds her childhood dream desk come to fruition.
Layers of Talent: River City Pen Company
With his skills in design and eye for details, Rich Paul crafts pens that are as beautiful as they are functional.
Fathoming the Unfathomable
The new Kanilea Pen Co. Blue Moana fountain pen and Mau Loa cap band are inspired by the ocean's depths and universal interconnectivity.
Truphae: Flexibility Is Key
This young pen shop is writing a new chapter in retail pen sales by finding unique ways to foster community.
"Winter Counts:" Transforming Non-fiction into Fiction
Creative writing typically blends what we know and experience with what we invent and imagine.
Swivodex, Sailors, and the Plastic Revolution: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part V
The end of World War II ushered in a new era, with plastics technology opening the way to better and less costly products of all sorts.
The Mystery of the Purloined Parkers
What do G-men, mobsters, and tampons have in common? The two most epic fountain pen heists in history.
The Other Articles of Impeachment
\"Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to keep silent, on pain of imprisonment...\"
The Road to Recovery
A recent trip to Wajima, Japan, by TACCIA's Shu-Jen Lin shows tragedy in the present but hope for the future.