My 2013 Subaru Outback, though literally falling apart, is very dear to me. It might not be as slick or unique as others’ prized cars, but it gets me from point A to point B, and for that I am thankful.
And others do put a lot of time, money, and love into their cars. In fact, since automobiles became popularized, people have been caring for their cars — even building around them.
One such example is located at 22 Lindsey St: the Central Motors Garage.
This building stands out for a multitude of reasons.
Firstly, in terms of appearance, the Central Motors Garage is reminiscent of the Alamo — at least to me. The street-facing facade looks like something out the southwest, not the northeast.
Contrasted against the rest of the buildings in the Shipyard neighborhood, which like the rest of Marblehead is full of characteristic coastal New England buildings, the Central Motors Garage is visually unique.
The location also holds historical significance.
Before the Central Motors Garage was the Central Motors Garage, it was the Hotel Rockmere Garage.
According to the document from the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS), the garage was built during two separate periods: 1911-1915 and 1926-1949.
The garage was first used to house the cars which Hotel Rockmere guests had brought along on their trips to town. Contemporary Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show that the garage could hold between 15 and 16 cars.
The garage outlived the hotel, though, as vacationing trends and the hotel owners changed as the 20th century progressed. So too did the owners of the garage.
In 1945, the then owner, Frank McQuesten, sold the property to Everett K. Peabody. Under Peabody’s ownership, the garage was transformed into a Dodge dealership and repair shop called Central Motors Garage.
Peabody owned the garage and operated it with his son, Warren, between 1945 and 1978, according to the MACRIS document. During this time, they expanded the garage with an L-shaped addition which stands today.
In 1978, a Declaration of Trust nominated Edward T. Moore and Patricia Leonard as trustees of the property.
Nearly 50 years later, the garage still bears the hand-painted name “Central Motors” on its front facade. Arching over the name is the word “trucks,” and on either side, above garage doors, are the words “Dodge” and “Plymouth.”
The garage is set back in the neighborhood on a small street, away from Atlantic Avenue, the closest main road. If you manage to find it, though, you are rewarded with a glance back in time.
