Town & Country Barbershop Returns to Adel

My great uncle was a barber. During the 60’s, yes, I’m that old, My grandfather and my dad would take turns each week taking me to get a haircut from my Uncle Andrew. To quote my dad, “a man gets his hair cut weekly, because it’s good for the soul”.

Then the Beatles changed everything, but some habits die hard. When we moved to Adel 25 years ago, one of my first trips downtown was to get a cut at the Town & Country Barbershop. It was the classic unpretentious barber shop of my youth.

Times change and the first of this year the shop closed. History has shown that once a Barber shop closes, the chances of it ever returning are minuscule. There are about 3,000 licensed barbers in Iowa, but the number still practicing is much lower.

This week Adel beat the odds as not one, but two Barbers are once again cutting hair in Adel.

Lenard Warford and Owner Jenny Orr of Town & Country Barbershop.

The Town & Country Barbershop at 903 Main Street was reopened on Monday by Jenny Orr, and a familiar face, Leonard Warford returned as well.

Jenny has barbered for 21 years, she attended the Iowa Barber College as did Leonard.

She grew up in Norwalk and has has several barber shops over the years in different locations and communities, the last “in the city” as she puts it. She was ready to move to a small town when one of her clients mentioned that the shop in Adel was closing.

Seeing this as a great opportunity, she moved to Adel and purchased the shop. When asked her thoughts on Adel she replied, “the people here are very friendly and it’s been a good move. I really like this town and I can’t wait for my first Sweet Corn Festival next week!”

For the last 12 years, a staple of the Adel barber shop has been Leonard Warford, he was born and raised in Adel. Leonard graduated barber college in 1966. “It may not have been the best time to graduate what with the Beatles and all” he remarked with a grin. “It was always a part-time job, but one I enjoy.”

Leonard worked full-time at the Des Moines Airport on the crash rescue squad. He retired from the airport in 2004 and has been cutting hair in Adel a couple of days a week ever since.

Now that the shop has reopened, he’ll be back at his post Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

From Army to corporate. Rocky Foster a 2005 Adel graduate gets a trim before starting his new job at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as an underwriter. Rocky recently returned home from a 3 and a half year stint in the Army, having been deployed in Iraq for part of that time.

Barbershop Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Town & Country Barbershop
903 Main St.
Adel, Iowa 50003
Phone: (515) 238-0097