According to Bill Sr., there had been a barber shop in the historic Triangle building since it opened in 1924.

Bill Sr. decided to become a barber after he graduated from Philipsburg-Osceola High School in 1962. He then completed a nine-month course at the now-defunct Cambria Barber School in Johnstown. He received his barber’s license in May 1963.

He decided to try his luck as an apprentice. Although owner Patrick “Babe” Cuzzolina had no openings for full-time barbers, he gave Bill a chair and kept him on once he finished his apprenticeship.

He took over the barber shop when Cuzzolina died in 1970.

Triangle Barber Shop owner Bill Herr Sr., 81, is seen outside the business at 1518 12th Ave., Altoona. A recent fall has sidelined him from his usual 60-hour work week, but his son is optimistic he will return to the business. Courtesy photo

“When he died, he left me the shop in his will. He left me the business license and equipment, (but) we had to buy the name. There were a lot of barber shops in the family, but he left it to a kid from Clearfield County,” Bill Sr. said.

Bill Sr. grew up in Osceola Mills and was 17 when he went to barber school.

“We delivered coal for my dad, I told my mom I was not going to be shoveling coal when I was 50. I wanted something warm in the winter and cool in the summer, so I decided to become a barber,” Bill Sr. said.

The business continued in the Triangle building until 2001, when Bill Sr. moved it to the present location, 1518 12th Ave., because of some problems with his landlord.

“Larry Moore had a space in his building. My customers came and helped me move the shop on a Sunday. It is nicer and bigger,” Bill Sr. said.

Bill Jr. graduated from Altoona Area High School in 1986 and went to a barber school in Camp Hill, graduating in early 1987. He went to work with his father in April 1987.

“I wanted to do it because of my dad, I thought it was an interesting job to take up. I enjoy the different people that come,” Bill Jr. said. “It is an honor to follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

“He has never had another job, he has always been with me. He is very good at what he does,” Bill Sr. said. “He wanted to work with me, (and) I encouraged him. I put everything I learned into him.”

Bill Sr. had become known as an expert on “flat tops.” He received a call from the school Bill Jr. was attending, asking him if he would come down to teach students how to give a good “flat top” haircut. Instead, Bill Jr. did the teaching.

“Dad taught me and then I taught the folks at the barber school. It was different, I was there to learn and not teach,” Bill Jr. said.

Bill Sr., now 81, said the key to survival as a barber has been hard work.

“Working 60 hours a week, you need to do a good job and be there when they want you. It takes a lot of hard work. If you want them to come back, you better do a good job,” Bill Sr. said.

“We’ve been able to adjust to the various hairstyles over the years. The long hair period in the 1960s and 1970s really hurt the barbering business, but we are a survivor. At one time, there were many barber shops downtown. Because of the different styles, some could not adjust and some closed because of the age of the barbers,” Bill Jr., 57, said.

Another change came in 1991 when licensed cosmetologists were permitted to cut men’s hair.

“When this was allowed, barbers started to fall away like rain. Men started going to beauty shops and that took away from the barbering trade,” Bill Sr. said.

History lesson on the wall

Triangle Barber Shop has long been known for its decor.

There are post cards all over the mirrors. There are lots of railroad pictures, old medals, police badges, military flags and banners and a Christmas tree that is up year-round and is updated with new decorations for the various holidays. There is also a painting of a black dog with a red scarf painted by Bill Sr.’s granddaughter, Emily McCloskey, about 15 years ago.

“The memorabilia came together over a long period of time. Customers used to talk about things in the old downtown. A lot of the photos depict Altoona. It brings back memories, people remember what used to be around the buildings,” Bill Jr. said.

Longtime customers key to success

Loyal longtime customers have been important to Triangle Barber Shop’s success.

Jeffery Rickabaugh of Altoona received his first hair cut at the shop in March 1986 when on leave from Marine Corps boot camp.

“Bill Sr. gave me a Marine Corps ‘High and Tight’ cut that surpassed every cut I received from a base barber during my enlistment. Every time I returned home on leave, the shop was my first stop. That started a decades-long relationship. Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. treat every customer like family and when you return, the conversation continues,” Rickabaugh said.

He said the barber shop offers a glimpse into Altoona’s history with all the decor around the shop, along with all the facts about the town Bill Sr. provides while cutting hair.

The business has survived many highs and lows over the years, including the loss of many other businesses in the downtown district.

“Bill Jr. is now my son’s barber and has been for 10 years and that will continue. It’s not just the quality of the haircut; it’s the tradition and history that lives in the shop. It’s actually an experience,” Rickabaugh said. “As hundreds of downtown businesses fell by the wayside, Triangle Barber shop has endured.”

Jim Flaig of Williamsburg has been a loyal patron for 20 years.

“My barber in Martinsburg got ill, retired and passed. A fellow I work with suggested I come here and I have been coming here ever since. It is fantastic. Bill Sr. likes gardening and so do I,” Flaig said.

Ken Hofer of Duncansville has been coming to the shop since the 1990s.

“I came here because of their reputation and word of mouth. I started coming here and have gone nowhere else. It is very traditional as far as a barbershop. I enjoy talking with Bill and Billy catching up. They give a good haircut and have a strong following,” Hofer said.

Rough patch

Bill Sr. has been absent from the business since he fell at work in October.

“I turned around in the shop and fell and broke my femur. Customers helped me up and she (wife, Nancy) took me to Conemaugh Nason and they operated on me the next morning (Oct. 12). They put a rod through the hip on the left side,” Bill Sr. said, adding he is not sure when or if he will be able to return to the shop.

Bill Jr., however, remains optimistic his father will some day be back on the job.

“I think he will come back, but I don’t know when. Being at home is hard for him. He doesn’t like to sit,” Bill Jr. said. “If he can’t come back, I will add another barber sometime down the road, I have to see what he decides.”

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.