ANTIQUE Paris Livery & Transfer Co. 2-DOOR SAFE Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Co.

Description

We recently came into possession of this great antique safe and are now actively seeking a permanent home for it.
We believe the safe to be on the order of 110 years old. It has been cleaned up, the combination tested and confirmed, and keys made for the inner door and interior drawer. Among the pigeonholes and cubicles, there is a smaller interior compartment with a lock that has apparently been damaged through use: we could make no key that would reliably fully extend or retract the bolt. Closer examination shows the nose of that lock has spread, creating a gap that affects the mechanism. We are providing a non-functioning key to use to pull the door open.
Research shows that the Shapleigh Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in 1843. It changed names several times as partners came and went, becoming Norvell-Shapleigh in 1901, then back to just Shapleigh in 1918. The company was sold to Curtis Manufacturing Company in 1955. According to the Shapleigh catalog (which we found online), the manufacturer of the safe would have been the Schwab Safe Company of Lafayette, Indiana, which was founded in 1872. Schwab was purchased in 2008 by Sentry Safe Company.
The Paris Livery and Transfer Company, located in northeastern Texas, was incorporated in 1908. Their headquarters was destroyed by fire on March 1, 1912, but was rebuilt and the company remained in business until dissolution in 1927.
As there is no sign of fire damage, it is believed that this safe was ordered after the date of the fire.
All of this leads to the conclusion that the safe was most likely purchased in the six-year period between the fire of 1912 and Shapleigh's name change in 1918.
We were told that at some point, the safe was sold to the postmaster of a rural town north of Dallas, although the prior owner could not provide evidence of when.
While we have cleaned up the safe, we have chosen not to initiate any repairs or updates, preferring not to risk the original paint or designs, and to leave it without modern replacement parts: with the exception of the keys themselves, everything here is believed to be original to the early to mid 20th century.
As can be seen in the photos, someone at some time spray painted over part of the Paris Livery name. The full name can be made out through the paint. Some of the paint and painted features have been sun-bleached and faded over time. There are areas on the top and sides that show chipped paint and rust, which should be visible in the photos provided. Although we have posted the maximum 12 photos permitted here, we can provide additional photos -- or other details -- upon request.
This safe would make a great addition for any collection, whether private or public. Restoration of the original paint job would make this absolutely amazing!
Exterior dimensions of the safe are 38" wide by 31" deep by 50" high. The wheels account for 8", making the box 42" high by itself. The interior is about 25" wide, 15" deep, and 30" high. Capacity is just over 6.5 cubic feet. The wheels do turn, so the safe can be moved without too much difficulty.
Transportation will have to be up to the purchaser to arrange. Based on similar safes in the catalog, we believe this one will top 1200 pounds. Obviously, the post office and other more usual shippers will not be able to handle this. The buyer is welcome to pick up the safe at our shop themselves or arrange for a service to retrieve it. If the buyer is local to the DFW area, it may be possible to arrange for our shop to deliver (contact us for details).
We cannot and will not warranty or guarantee this item. Remember, you are purchasing an antique manufactured over 100 years ago, which may not meet any of various modern building or safety requirements. Use at your own risk.
Payment must be made through eBay in accordance with their terms. We will not accept checks, particularly for amounts greater than the purchase price and for which you request "change." That scam is so old that it has mold. Don't even consider trying.