Central Motoramp Garage , Allentown, Pa. Franklin & Packard Dealership.

[Walt G]

Many of us share a love of early buildings, houses, structures that date from the pre war era.

the building you see here stood at 28-32 N. 5th Street in Allentown, Pa.   It was demolished to make room for a new court hose building ( but was in sound shape before that was done) This photo was taken by my good friend Jim Pearsall of New Jersey in the early 1970s.

The first floor of the building seen here painted white was the location of the Allentown Franklin dealer after it was built. Fenstermacher & Rehms was the dealership . It was there until Franklin ceased business building cars in 1934 and the owners then took on a franchise to sell Packard cars.

The name Central Motoramp garage is at the center top of the structure in cast concrete. The 1931 Franklin victoria brougham with Derham Body that was at the 1930 NY custom body salon ( held late 1930 into January 1931) on the Derham stand was sold via this dealership to a wealthy Allentown resident named William Erdell. That car still exists and was at the AACA Elegance at Hershey show and also at Hershey on display last year.

A great building that was torn down "in the name of progress". 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by Walt G (see edit history)

[dictator27]

Too many buildings have suffered that fate.

[Dave Wells]

Walt: Shouldn't this be in the Automotive Architecture forum that you helped to create?

 

 

 

[Bob Cornman]

Great article Walt.  There is a very good chance the Derham will be on display at the America on Wheels museum in Allentown this winter where the above story will be told for many to hear.

[dibarlaw]

So sad but true.... In our town of Chambersburg our history is always promoted as being the only town destroyed by the Confederacy. Most of the city scape was rebuilt anew by the mid 1870s. The consistancy of the town architecture was a marvel. Then progress... since we are the Frankin County seat we have ALL social services for the region now located next or near to the courthouse that escaped the Civil war fire. In the last 10 years more and more downtown multistory buildings have been raised to be replaced by modern city/county government buildings and parking lots. Add this to our hospital that has multiple satilite buildings, our school district and a local Church chewing up all the in town properties. Most comming off the tax roles or obtaining non-profit status.

 I was starting to document the old mainstreet car dealerships that existed before the first world war and up through the 1950s. All except one on route 11 have been torn down. The 1935 Gayman Chevrolet and later Jennings Chevrolet, Buick, GMC buildings. That property was just recently encapsulated by a county office complex and a party venu. One structure torn down 2 years ago was a Franklin dealership as far back as 1907. Then Studebaker, Cadillac and White commercial cars into the 1920s. I always shake my head at historical markers that indicate where something once was......