Shapiro’s Furniture Barn, a fifth-generation City of Newburgh business located at 75 Chambers Street, continues today to be an active storefront and a local community supporter. The business began in 1887 when the store was first owned by current owner Noah Shapiro’s great-grandfather Sam and his great-grandmother Sarah.

In the early days of the business at that time, instead of furniture, the business was recognized as New York’s largest horse traders. “They sold horses for transportation, for agricultural purposes, and everything that fell under the horse umbrella, from wagons to saddles, to blankets, whatever you needed,” said Shapiro.

With the rise of the automobile industry in the new century, Shapiro’s great-grandparents made the transition from the horse-trading business and moved into the used-furniture business.

New furniture back then was difficult to acquire as most raw materials went towards the conflicts at that time, World War I and World War II. “New furniture wasn’t as common so they were in the used-furniture business from the 20s through late 40s when World War II ended,” said Shapiro.

The business would then evolve again in the 1950s, this time selling new furniture and eventually adding electronics to their inventory. The business maintained its presence and fixture on Chambers Street but also had an outlet at the Mid Valley Mall. “My great-grandparents had four boys, my grandfather (Jerry) and my three great uncles, they were all involved in the business from a very young age,” he said.

Noah’s grandfather, Jerry, was the husband of the late former mayor Joan Shapiro, who served from 1980 to 1988.

While the Shapiro side of the family has always lived in the Newburgh area, Noah’s parents both met in Manhattan in the 1960s and made the move to Long Island to live and raise their family. Noah’s parents have been married for 54 years.

After high school, Shapiro recalled that his parents decided to return to the Newburgh area. Shapiro’s grandfather was the only one of the family that was still working within the business, which he enjoyed doing. However, health concerns began to grow and after major surgery, his grandfather was advised that he could not work anymore. Shapiro and his family would maintain the store while he recovered. “While he was in the hospital, we started to meet people of the community, and fell in love instantly; it was just an immediate connection,” he said.

As time went on and Shapiro’s grandfather regained his strength, the decision to hold a “going out of business” sale was looming, and that would have been the end of the store. However, Shapiro and his parents went to his grandfather and asked if he would be willing to give the family a shot at running the business so as to not close down.

“When we told him, he just almost broke down and cried. He couldn’t believe it and he was more than welcoming to have at first my mom and I take over,” he said. “And then a couple years later, my dad was tired of going to the city after all the years so he retired from the city.”

Shapiro ran the store beginning in 1992 with his mother and eventually into 1993/1994, his father would eventually join the business. Shapiro, 32 years later, still owns the business now alongside his wife Angela and is still working.

“There’s generations of customers as well and families that stay in Newburgh and that’s the best part of it,” he said. “I’m now meeting kids and grandkids of customers I helped when they were younger, which is wild, and now people are referring to me or the younger kids as sir.”

The business itself today continues selling new furniture, while remaining a part of the greater Newburgh community. Looking ahead, Shapiro looks to continue supporting Newburgh as an advocate for local organizations, supporting athletic and educational programs and being a neighbor to all who come into his store each time.