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Urban Archeology: Garages and Workspaces in Virginia and the Carolinas

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phartman

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Richmond, VA
Former garage, then used car lot, then vagrant drug selling corner, now donut shop. The lines on the weekend are out the door. On Lombardy Street here in town.



Former location of garage doors, now planning a drive-up window.



 
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phartman

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Service station comes back to life as a barbeque joint. They still sell gas. Great combo for adaptive reuse. East Tennessee, Highway 11E



 
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phartman

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Road trip to south Florida. I was surprised. Much of Miami and US 1 are gone. Some vintage motels left, but many of the garages are bulldozed and forgotten. This place was just before I reached West Palm Beach driving north on #1.

 
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phartman

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Don't think I've ever posted up this pic. From back in the Spring on a trip we took to the Blue Ridge. From NASCAR racing fame, the Wood's Brothers Garage in Stuart, VA. That's some of my buddies out front.



Here's a video of our rod run to Stuart and the surrounding area...

http://vimeo.com/68739246
 
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phartman

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A very early example of a poured concrete garage that was dug out of a hillside. Winston-Salem, NC. Near Baptist Hospital. Most of the houses in the neighborhood are 'teens up to WWII.

 
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phartman

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Half the fun of poking around old garages and service stations is the interesting people you meet. While traveling up highway 17N from Morehead City back to Richmond, I ran across this old place, a tire store that plugs flats and provides general repair services.

Moore's Pit Stop, Williamston, NC. If you ever have a car problem while on HiWay 17, stop in and they'll fix you right up.





It has one of the few operating outdoor lifts- single center pole- that is still around and used.



But the best part? The cast of characters that congregate under the front portico. Nice people, very funny, quite friendly- just as anybody could expect in Eastern N.C. .

They held forth on quite a range of subjects: what was good takeout dinners to eat, deadbeat dads, alimony, other old garages in the area, the internet, and all manner of guy stuff.

It was just after work, early evening. There was at least one fried fish dinner being consumed. With a six-pac or two and some other to-go orders, it could have been a long stop. But I needed to be in Richmond by dark.

Next time, fellas.




 
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Mavawreck

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Durham NC
If you ever make it through Morehead again, there used to be a big ford dealership in the old downtown area - main street on the Beaufort end. Was a thrift store for awhile, then an antique car museum probably 18 years ago, not sure if it is still standing.
 
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phartman

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If you ever make it through Morehead again, there used to be a big ford dealership in the old downtown area - main street on the Beaufort end. Was a thrift store for awhile, then an antique car museum probably 18 years ago, not sure if it is still standing.

It is still there, and has a half-dozen or so cars in various stages of restoration inside. Carteret Body Shop is across the street. Those fellas are kindred spirits. Nice people.
 

Mavawreck

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It is still there, and has a half-dozen or so cars in various stages of restoration inside. Carteret Body Shop is across the street. Those fellas are kindred spirits. Nice people.

Great! Used to be a guy named Shelby who put it together, had some gorgeous cars inside but not much traffic. I remember a mid-60s country squire in there that solidified my love for large vehicles with faux-wood.

My dad's '29 Ford resided there for a few months when it first opened as a museum, I think my elementary school even went there on a field trip.
 

dolfans

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A very early example of a poured concrete garage that was dug out of a hillside. Winston-Salem, NC. Near Baptist Hospital. Most of the houses in the neighborhood are 'teens up to WWII.


I live in Mt Airy (Mayberry) and there are some garages like this. Alsoi am bout 45 mins or so from Winston Salem
 

JMURiz

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NoVA
Very cool thread...next time I'm at my wife's family farm, I should take so e pics of the OLD car barns (used to house buggies and early 1900s cars)
 
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phartman

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Very cool thread...next time I'm at my wife's family farm, I should take so e pics of the OLD car barns (used to house buggies and early 1900s cars)

By all means, please do. Here is a good example of one I ran across last week in Richmond. It is opposite the grounds of Maymount, so I am dating it right at the turn of the 20th century. Former buggy barn, as you've called it. I like that term.



Here's the house that goes with it...

 
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phartman

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A couple of more garages from the Morehead City area. This neighborhood is called Promise Land. It was settled in the '20s and '30s by refugees from Cape Lookout who left there after their village was destroyed by a hurricane.







And this one, that isn't an old garage at all, but new in the last couple years. A very faithful design, I'd say. And a pic of the cottage that goes with it. A wonderful property. A block from Bogue Sound.



 

Lippyp

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Shropshire, UK
Half the fun of poking around old garages and service stations is the interesting people you meet. While traveling up highway 17N from Morehead City back to Richmond, I ran across this old place, a tire store that plugs flats and provides general repair services.

Moore's Pit Stop, Williamston, NC. If you ever have a car problem while on HiWay 17, stop in and they'll fix you right up.





It has one of the few operating outdoor lifts- single center pole- that is still around and used.



But the best part? The cast of characters that congregate under the front portico. Nice people, very funny, quite friendly- just as anybody could expect in Eastern N.C. .

They held forth on quite a range of subjects: what was good takeout dinners to eat, deadbeat dads, alimony, other old garages in the area, the internet, and all manner of guy stuff.

It was just after work, early evening. There was at least one fried fish dinner being consumed. With a six-pac or two and some other to-go orders, it could have been a long stop. But I needed to be in Richmond by dark.

Next time, fellas.





Could have done with these guys last saturday when we found we had a 1/2" bolt in a reat tyre over in France. This is on a saturday when everything shuts at lunchtime until if you're lucky monday (some don't open on a monday or have a half day) when we were due to drive 900 miles back home to the UK and have a ****** space saver spare that restricts you to 50mph. Our local village garage was closed for les conges annuelle, after three more garages we managed to find a very grumpy young french garagiste who plugged it and charged us 35 euros for the privilege. The open tyre places we went to not one had that size in stock (it's something like a 205 55 R18) and clearly doesn't feature very heavily on the local rolling stock of renaults and citroens, they didn't want to plug it and wouldn't be able to get a replacement before Tuesday. Damn one chevaux ville!

Anyway the repair held and we got home but it would have been nicer to have had a better reception rather than a sigh, a pointed look at the watch as it was quarter to lunchtime and an **** reaming when it came to the bill.
 
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phartman

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Richmond, VA
Phil, very sorry to hear about your troubles. These guys could not have been nicer. The owner wanted to know who I might be, and what in the world was "Garage Journal." I showed them on my ipad. Very friendly. Funny, too. A hoot. Glad I stopped.
 
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phartman

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Gotta post a few historic fire stations every now and then. Garages for very specific equipment. Here is the main station in downtown Greensboro, NC. Now office space. Handsome.




And this one from Nashville, TN, just south of Vanderbilt University. Glad they saved it.

 
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phartman

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Damn dude you cover some ground!

Yeah, I do get around some.

You know you are a road warrior when they ask, "Do you want to do to Portland?"

And if your first thought is, "Oregon or Maine? Hmmm, both nice places..." then, yup, you are a road warrior.

At this point I can sleep anywhere, all meals away from home taste the same, and all hotels whether it is the Ritz or Motel 6, well, they are all the same when I turn out the lights and close my eyes.

Pete
 

JimVonBaden

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Northern Virginia
Waynesboro, VA. Not a garage, but too cool not to list.
Sherando201347.jpg


Also Waynesboro, VA. Redone Garage.
Sherando201329.jpg



Lyndhurst, VA. Been here a long time, and many different forms.
Sherando201327.jpg


Jim :cool:
 
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phartman

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Richmond, VA
From my friend, Tom, who used to live in Richmond. This relic from the '80s, in Shockoe Slip neighborhood, now quite gentrified. RIP.

What a great pic. Thanks for saving, Tom.

 
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phartman

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Richmond, VA
Took a road trip to Block Island, RI. Lots of boathouses and the like there. Here's an example of a boathouse/barn that has been modified into a guest house.



 
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phartman

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Richmond, VA
I woke up this morning thinking about small garage spaces. They might be more sheds than garages. Here's the first. From Morehead City. One of the dwindling few original beach cottages left there on the oceanside. Here's the cottage:



Here's the modest, humble workshop that goes with it:



I'll take a few pics today and post more up tomorrow.
 

captain14

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Near College Park Maryland 20740
Hard to tell if the center or right bays were bricked in. The center bay has a concrete lintel that does not match the other two bays brickwork. Yet the one on the right has the same "inward pattern over the window and door areas."

The glass block pattern over the windows seems to be duplicated over both.
 

Lippyp

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I reckon all three bays were open originally on that old Ford/lincoln garage, you can see they've divided up inside with glass block walls whish is what makes me think it was just one big open space inside originally, probably had a little office in a corner at the back.
 
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phartman

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Richmond, VA
Yesterday was just a stunning end-of-summer day in Richmond, so second son and I decided to go get coffee and shoot some pics. Stephen was back from college for a wedding. I miss him. We laughed and enjoyed each other's company all morning.

We visited this new cinema conplex. This old service building is now where they show the art films and indie features.



 
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phartman

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Richmond, VA
More Memphis, south of Beale Street. Huge inventory of factories and industrial work spaces now deserted, but undergoing reuse and adaption to urban living. Gentrification is underway with young people, artists, galleries, restaurants and the like taking over the space and bringing it back to life. Good to see.









Even some Industrial Age-inspired single family homes mixed in with the old.



And what is the attraction of the whole area? Easy to see. Here is the view to the West out your windows. My only question is "Why did it take so long to be discovered?"

 
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