Southside Hardware was long a place to find the unusual, from replacement wicks for kerosene heaters to the special keys needed to operate radiators, antique radios and baby buggies.

Owner and operator William Leeper Jr. kept the independent store going at 1433 Hull St. for years, defying the impact of big box hardware operators such as Home Depot and Lowe’s.

But that era is over.

Now 86, Mr. Leeper has retired, and the remaining inventory is being cleared out in preparation for the sale of the three-story building, which possibly may become a restaurant and events center.

The sale will bring to a close Mr. Leeper’s 67 years with the store, according to his daughter, Ingrid Leeper Christian, who has taken on the task of selling and/or discarding all of the “stuff” accumulated over the decades.

Mr. Leeper started out as an employee in 1950, and 30 years later became the owner, Ms. Leeper Christian said. He later purchased the building, where he spent six days a week serving customers.

Ms. Leeper Christian said her father used the first floor and kept the second and third floors for storage. She said she found items dating back to the 1920s when the hardware operation first opened on what was then the main commercial district for the Manchester and Blackwell neighborhoods.

Ms. Leeper Christian said that she’ll return Saturday, Jan. 19, for a final open house for people who might like to buy the last items before the business is locked up for the last time. The property’s sale, she said, is set to take place next week.