Guest T442163 Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Some of you may or may not be aware that the former Mathis Motors <!--coloro:#A0522D--><!--/coloro-->Studebaker <!--colorc--><!--/colorc-->dealership building in Atlantic County NJ is For Sale. This building still looks just about the same as it did when built in 1926/27. In the hopes of saving it from the wrecking ball or something worse a condo developer; I am attempting to form some type of organization to acquire and restore it. I would like to hear from you the members if I am tilting at windmils or just off my rocker!? If I can succeed in forming a not for profit "Friends of" or another type of Foundation would any of you be willing to put some money into this project? Feel free to contact me directly if you feel strongly about this. Thank you for your time.Peter CrisitelloPCrisitello@acs.Rutgers.edu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Is this the same building that was a stained glass window shop back in the early 90's? The first thing that caught my eye was the Studebaker Wheels up in each corner of the building when I saw it. Very Cool. There are two old dealers buildings in Albany NY. on Broadway. One is an International Harvestor Building, and the other is a Mack Truck building with the company logos in the brick work. Niether are dealers any longer, but the logos live on. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest T442163 Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Dave:Yes, that is the building. The same lady who sold the stained glass then still ownes it today. Do you have any pictures of the former dealerships in Albany?Peter Crisitello Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I do not, but I'm sure I could get some if I am headed that way at some point in time. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hinckley Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 (edited) Here in Kingman we have an interesting "plain jane" garage/dealership. This building was built in about 1913 and has served as a Chandler, Packard, Cadillac/La salle, and Jeep dealership. It appears that both Barney Oldfield and Louis Chevrolet used the facilities during the 1914 Desert Classic cactus Derby race.We are looking for donated items for a raffle in January as well as financial donations to transform this historic structure from a storage building into an automotive musem. The crown jewel for our restoration efforts is a towering, circa 1930 neon, "Packard Sales & Service" sign that has been in storage in the cellar since 1950!I hope the old Studebaker building can be preserved. The larger urban dealerships of the late 1920s and early 1930s are truly beautiful structures but many have succumbed to waves of updates or improvements.In smaller rural communities a surprsing number of vintage dealerships remain. Many were spartan in design. This and the fact they are in remote areas results in obscurity of their origins or knowledge of their existence outside of the immediate area.An excellent example is found in Seligman, Arizona. The old Studebaker dealership there appears a huge circa 1930s service station and garage. As a footnote when this building was purchased from the original family in 1980, the new owner was amazed to find the upstairs parts room still contained a fairly large inventory of NOS Studebake items! Edited August 19, 2009 by Hinckley error in spelling (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG57Roadmaster Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 (edited) Found these on a Packard site... Good luck on your quest; it will take much effort to get it done, but I believe such things can be done. See how viable the Studebaker & Packard Clubs are in the area, and if they'd want to get involved. Is the building listed on the Nat'l Historic Register yet? There's a trend to save these old Deals that's growing, and many are on the Register. Talk to the City Planner & City Council about it, to see what their plans for the neighborhood are. If the city or county has a Convention & Visitor's Bureau, include them in your talks. Do a study of how many old Deals remain in the vicinity (old City Directories at the library are great for this info). Often, facade grants are available, matching private renovation funds of the "face" of such buildings. Most importantly, what is the condition of the roof, interior walls (lath & plaster, no cheap sheetrock back then!), office and service areas? Does the showroom have terrazzo or wooden floors or what? Also, plumbing & HVAC, what shape is it in? Assessing all these beforehand will make it alot easier to garner interest as a project, to "sell" the idea to interested parties.I would dream very big, and be happy with most results short of the building being torn down. As more and more of these showroom palaces are lost, the tourism angle is what I would employ. Just a few thoughts,TGhttp://www.automotivehistoryonline.com/StudePackNHthruOK.htm Edited August 19, 2009 by TG57Roadmaster (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BJM Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I can't believe those Studebaker signs are still there. I would think they would be long gone either stolen or offered to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 This building is in Riverhead, NY. I pass it several times a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BJM Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Looks a lot better now and a LOT smaller in your photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Looks a lot better now and a LOT smaller in your photos.Ummm, that's because it's a different building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Nice signs...right down to the lugnuts and valve stem!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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