
The History of McKeever Decorating Co.
Thomas McKeever was born in Pittsburg, PA in 1879. He moved to Uhrichsville in 1899 where he met his wife Alice, who was from Dover, and married her on Christmas Day. Thomas moved to Dover and started his business in 1902. He would wheel his painting equipment from job to job on a push cart. His first son Willard was born in 1903 and a second son, Herbert in 1912.
Willard started working for his father in 1920 and Herb in 1929. At that time Tom named his business T.D. McKeever & Sons. They stored their equipment in a barn between 8 th and 9 th Street in an alley off Tuscarawas Avenue until Tom’s death in 1946. After his death, Willard and Herb became co-owners of the company.
They built their own shop in 1947 on West 11 th Street and began a wallpaper retail store in their shop. In 1955 Willard purchased his brother’s share of the company and renamed it McKeever Decorating Co. Willard owned the business until 1973 when his son, Tom, became owner and remained for 26 years until in 1999 when his son, Steve, took over the business. It remained at that location until 2003 when the company moved to its present location.