Beidelman Furniture, oldest business in DuPage County, to close doors downtown Naperville

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- Before many of the buildings in downtown Naperville stood tall, there was a wooden-framed store built in 1861, which would later become Beidelman Furniture. The oldest business, not only in Naperville but in DuPage County, is now set to close its doors.

"Every day it was like, 'the store, the store,' I actually thought the store was a person," owner Lana Heitmanek said.

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There's never been a day in Heitmanek's life, when her family's namesake didn't stand tall at Jackson Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Naperville.

"As it turns out, it is kind of a person. There's a lot of sentimental feeling," Heitmanek said. "He had nine children. I guessed he liked having the business because it was an income for his family."

Heitmanek took over the business from her father at the turn of the century in 2000 and says she's now ready to close this chapter for good.

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She says the business has faced some financial challenges.

"It's sort of a nice feeling to know that this is it," Heitmanek said. "The property became more valuable, and it's worth money. And it almost seems like it's probably worth more than having than the profit that we would make having this business here."

Beidelman Furniture store dates back to 1861, when Fred Long opened the business and then sold it to his nephew, Heitmanek's grandfather, Oliver Beidelman, who later changed the name and grew the company to what eventually became a national landmark.

"Because the building will, no matter what, not go anywhere, so that's comforting in some ways," Heitmanek said.

Beidelman Furniture is now the third business to close on Washington Street since last year. The store's final day open is April 29.