Photos of Vintage Auto Dealerships, Repair Shops, and Gas Stations

Now here's another "hobby house" candidate.

Built 1930, as a dealer, probably many things auto-related or other in 100 years. 300 NE Barnard, Glen Rose, Tx. This is the former Lane & Sons Motor Company.

So, what's so cool here?

The construction is brick, concrete, indigenous rocks, & local petrified wood (100 million year old trees that fell into what what was then mud, when much of Central Texas had been underwater/marshy, and turned into rocks eventually).

Back when the area was settled/built, the locals used what they had a LOT of CHEAP to build things. The walls are interlaced with "translucent quartz" (called "isinglass") to dress things up.

These materials have been there all those eons of course. But in the 1920's, Henry Ford made tractors affordable to farmers all over USA. "Harvesting" these ancient rocks got a lot easier and therefore more abundance for local use.

Many OTHER buildings/structures have these materials in the area BTW, including a house right across the street (307 NE Barnard)

About 5,000 sq. ft (half the size I need), it has character. Its a historical structure candidate too. Clearly without AC as well. Old enough, if not done already, to need other environmental remediation. Large empty lot to the north that may go with it (there's a garage door on that side.),''

Looks like left 1/2 was showroom/office, with right side was overhead vehicle doors (filled in in the past).

source: Auto dealership, 300 NE Barnard St, Glen Rose | THC.Texas.gov - Texas Historical Commission,
https://texashighways.com/travel-ne...-told-through-its-prehistoric-petrified-wood/

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This was on the local Syracuse facebook page this morning. Not a lot to see here, and the yellow arrow points to some relative of the poster.

The '53 Desoto banner caught my eye....

The interesting part of this is what the building was over the years. In this pic, it's the Prestolite factory. The building started as part of the Moyer Automobile factory. ( H. A. Moyer (automobile) - Wikipedia ). After Moyer, it became Dyneto Electric. I can't find much history on Dyneto, which is really surprising as they were suppliers of generator/starters and windshield wiper motors to many of the early cars. I do know they were a local company and in 1934, they were purchased by Electric-Autolight and they became Prestolite.

After Prestolite, the building became Besdin Furniture warehouse and closed.


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Another local place that popped up today. 1960 versus today. The street was widened, but so it looks different, I believe that is the same building.

It's a neighborhood (emphasis on "hood") store now. I'll bet you can buy single cigarettes there.

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Detroit is full of vintage renovated, idle, dilapidated, and torn down automobile history. The first 140 years we are winding up now ... i'd sure like to be around for the next 100 years to see how it all turned out. I gotta feeling, however, I already know ... :(

Different but related topic. Nothing I can personally do with this one
(its not an investment property, nor a "hobby house" candidate, etc.,) ... 60,000 sq. ft total on TWO floors, plus a basement of at least 1/2 that .. over 40 years vacant.

1910 - the very first Hudson auto plant, Beaufait at Mack (the left-right street in front), Detroit, MI.

Former "Aerocar" (a 1905 startup that by 1908 was bankrupt - such were the "go-go" days in early autos as ANYBODY with money/could get money wanted to be IN it) plant five years earlier.

Hudson, itself a new start-up auto company, leased it in 1910, outgrew it in a few months building their Model 20, and built another huge Albert Kahn-designed plant on Jefferson @ Connor above at post #669 (torn down few decades ago, it was by Chrysler's old Jefferson plant, was once a GM stamping plant before its demise).

source: Still standing: the Aerocar/Hudson plant
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Today -- Empty (likely but dunno) but still standing ....

You see what happens to lots of these. The neighborhood (emphasis on "hood") changes around them, alternative industrial usages/brickover street level windows, paint over brick/limestone trim, etc.

Dunno anything specific on this structure other than its place in industry history. Somebody is trying to hang onto it all these years for that reason, real estate speculation, whatever. The Hudson car company is LONG gone (1954 into Nash, then into AMC, then into Chrysler, and y'all know the rest).

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Looking East on Mack (toward Chrysler's Mack Ave -- you cant see it -- plants former/current).

The giant (45,000 sq. ft., built 1903) red brick building across Mack (south) from Hudson used to be something auto-related back in the day (the former B.F. Everitt Company, 6500 Mack, a body builder/carmaker that didn't survive the 1920's -- Walter O. Briggs worked there as a noob upholsterer, so did one of the famous "Fisher Body" brothers).

A bit West there's a little art-deco brick joint (6447 Mack, built 1929, with a later construction block addition, I'd like to have (about 10K sq. ft. total).

Again tho, its in the middle of nowhere -- and there's graphitti on the building (that's a bad sign in ANY neighborhood) like the Hudson Plant -- helluva time keeping vandals OUT I'd guess)

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Couple aerials.

Red Flag is old Hudson Plant, "North" is UP of course, "South" is DOWN and you run into Canada, Southwesterly is downtown Detroit.

Though not clearly visible (unless you know what you're looking at), there's a TON of other auto industry architectural locations in the bottom aerial

e.g., Ford Piquette (still there), Ford Mack (gone), Fisher Body #21 (under renovation), Packard Complex (straight north on Beaufait til I-94, about to be razed in a few months), etc) for anyone interested.

For you folks who DONT know Detroit, I put this location in larger context in couple aerials. But, all that green space in the 30 square blocks in Detroit city limits around WAS densely-packed homes and business 80 years ago.

People ask "where are all the people in Detroit now'? Here's an example of "where they were". AINT Detroit bashing .. the whys/what fers is for some other thread(s).

Guys/gals that built some of our Mopars (Dodge Main, Jefferson Ave, etc.) or Hudsons, or Chalmers, or Packards, etc., .. many lived and worked around here.

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Detroit is full of vintage renovated, idle, dilapidated, and torn down automobile history. The first 140 years we are winding up now ... i'd such like to be around for the next 100 years to see how it all turned out. I gotta feeling, however, I already know ... :(

Different but related topic. Nothing I can personally do with this (its not an investment property, nor a "hobby house" candidate, etc.,) ... 80,000 sq. ft total on TWO floors, plus a basement of at least 1/2 that .. over 40 years vacant.

1910 - the very first Hudson auto plant, Beaufait at Mack (the left-right street in front), Detroit, MI
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Today -- Empty but standing ....

You see what happens to lots of these. The neighborhood (emphasis on "hood") changes around them, alternative industrial usages/brickover street level windows, paint over brick/limestone trim, etc.

Dunno anything specific on this structure other than its place in industry history. Somebody is trying to hang onto it all these years for that reason, real estate speculation, whatever. The Hudson car company is LONG gone (1954 into Nash, then into AMC, then into Chrysler, and y'all know the rest).

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Looking East on Mack (toward Chrysler's Mack Ave -- you cant see it -- plants former/current). The giant red brick building across Mack from Hudson used to be something auto-related back in the day.

A bit WEST, theres a little art-deco brick joint (6447 Mack, built 1929, with a later construction block addition, I'd like to have (about 10K sq. ft. total),

Again tho, its in the middle of nowhere -- and there's graphitti on the building (that's a bad sign in ANY neighborhood) like the Hudson Plant -- helluva time keeping vandals OUT I'd guess)
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Couple aerials. Red Flag is old Hudson Plant, "North" is UP of course, "South" is DOWN and you run into Canada, Southwesterly is downtown Detroit.

Though not clearly visible (unless you know what you're looking at), there's a TON of other auto industry architectural locations in the bottom aerial

e.g., Ford Piquette (still there), Ford Mack (gone), Fisher Body #21 (under renovation), Packard Complex (straight north on Beaufait til I-94, about to be razed in a few months), etc) for anyone interested.

For you folks who DONT know Detroit, I put this location in larger context in couple aerials. But, all that green space in the 30 square blocks in Detroit city limits around WAS densely-packed homes and business 80 years ago.

People ask "where are all the people in Detroit now'? Here's an example of "where they were". AINT Detroit bashing .. the whys/what fers is for some other thread(s).

Guys/gals that built some of our Mopars (Dodge Main, Jefferson Ave, etc.) or Hudsons, or Chalmers, or Packards, etc., .. many lived and worked around here.

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You would be living like "Omega man" if you were to live in that old machine shop. Very cool building, as was the petrified wood and stone building.
 

I wanted to figure out what corner this is on Transit Rd. This area has grown up a lot over the years. The drive-in gave me what I needed to orient where Transit Rd and what direction it was taken. There's now a big movie theatre where the drive-in was.

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You would be living like "Omega man" if you were to live in that old machine shop. Very cool building, as was the petrified wood and stone building.
Omega Man .. he did have an old industrial pad in that flick.

Yeah man .. that Glen Rose TX building is cool .. I'd sport that rascal in retirement even though I need more space.

I would cut off my "hobby pad" at 20k sq. ft, and two stories max.

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Neighborhood is important -- be they "zombies", or the "homies" -- ya gotta keep the riff-raff out. Bigger the barn, the harder that is to do in some of the "rougher" urban areas unfortunately.
 
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I wanted to figure out what corner this is on Transit Rd. This area has grown up a lot over the years. The drive-in gave me what I needed to orient where Transit Rd and what direction it was taken. There's now a big movie theatre where the drive-in was.

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Ford dealer on left corner, Wendy's cata-corner, and a Mighty Taco on right corner, the ThruWay (I-90) about 1/2 mile south going over Transit.

THe Hobby Lobby in the background used to be a Best Buy 30 years ago ..

How do I know? Some $%@@&! a**hat hit my car (only damage was front license cover ..but still) there getting CD's ... second time in my life I almost went to jail... but I digress.

Why the hostility? Cuz I am old and STILL pissed half a lifetime later....:) SOB hit my $%@*% car and thought it was funny!!!

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Ford dealer on left corner, Wendy's cata-corner, and a Mighty Taco on right corner, the ThruWay (I-90) about 1/2 mile south going over Transit.

THe Hobby Lobby in the background used to be a Best Buy 30 years ago ..

How do I know? Some $%@@&! a**hat hit my car (only damage was front license cover ..but still) there getting CD's ... second time in my life I almost went to jail... but I digress.

Why the hostility? Cuz I am old and STILL pissed half a lifetime later....:) SOB hit my $%@*% car and thought it was funny!!!

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Of all the cars I've owned over the years, I miss my C4 Corvette.

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I understand but we can't get in or out of them anymore.
I could get in... You can fall into a C4. Getting out is the issue.

For those that don't know... The C4 Corvette is the hardest Corvette to get out of. The door sill is higher than your hips when you're seated.
 
New Mopars in front of the Saab dealer in Sundsvall, Sweden. They must of been selling them too. The "toad" looks like a Dodge Lancer.

Temporary plate on the front of the Fury and what looks like a mud flap on the rear. I remember Saabs having a mud flap and I wonder if that was a requirement for Swedish cars.

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I could get in... You can fall into a C4. Getting out is the issue.

For those that don't know... The C4 Corvette is the hardest Corvette to get out of. The door sill is higher than your hips when you're seated.

Like sitting in a bucket. Actually worse than that ..your a** is almost literally on the floor.

I DID/DO have trouble in and out though. I'm 6'3", still all legs/arms, and still "comfortably" over 225 lbs .. even 30 years ago.

Its "fall in", "roll out" .. then "try" to stand up with your butt at calf-level (& below the door sill), and with only one foot hanging over the door sill.

Frankly now, I am so "ungainly" at it, I'm embarrassed ("hey, look at that old coot" :poke:).

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OK, I'll get back to some brick and mortar architecture. Got a serious eye on a "hobby house" I looked at a decade ago ... :)
 
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