For more than a century, the sound of clippers and conversation has been a constant in Perryville, thanks in large part to one family’s enduring trade.
The Elder family’s barbering roots in the community date back to the early 1900s, when Frank Patrick Elder first opened a barber shop in Perryville. His work laid the foundation for a family tradition that would span multiple generations.
Frank’s son, Tom Elder, followed in his father’s footsteps, continuing the family trade. That legacy expanded even further when three of Tom’s sons — George, Pat and Leroy “Willie” Elder — each became barbers, carrying the profession into yet another generation.
By 1959, the family’s presence in the local barbering scene was well established. George Elder owned the Elder & Pecaut Barber Shop, located on East Ste. Marie Street between the A & P Grocery Store and DeLassus Drug Store.
Just two years later, in 1961, Willie Elder purchased a barber shop on Jackson Street, situated between Gambles Hardware and Klaus Jewelers. He renamed it Elder’s Barber Shop, and it soon became a familiar fixture in downtown Perryville. George later joined Willie at the Jackson Street location, strengthening both the business and the family’s shared legacy.
In 1985, another move helped cement the shop’s long-term home. After Hayden’s Barber Shop, located at 22 North Jackson Street, closed its doors, Willie and George relocated Elder’s Barber Shop to that address — a location it continues to occupy today.
More than 100 years after Frank Patrick Elder first picked up his tools, the family tradition remains alive and well. Today, Elder’s Barber Shop is owned and operated by Wade Elder, Willie’s cousin, continuing a legacy that has become part of Perryville’s history.
Through generations of change, the Elder family’s commitment to their craft — and to the community they serve — has never wavered, making their story one of Perryville’s longest-running traditions.
