Blacksmith to Auto Body Shop
 

My grandfather came here from Austria in 1910. He purchased this property from R. S. Cox and Sons in 1912 to start his blacksmith business. We still have his anvils along with other blacksmith tools. When America went from horses to automobiles my father owned the business which he transitioned into an Auto Body Shop. Then it was my father and brother running the business. After that it was my brother and I running the business and now it's his two sons. The first picture is the building that my grandfather purchased in 1912 and the second picture is the Auto Body Shop in the 1940's. We had our 100th year anniversary in 2012 and the Auto Body Shop is still in business today with my two nephews running it.

Congratulations on your 100 year anniversary. That is quite remarkable!

Wow!! That's awesome!!!

I am already amazed, but any modern day photos?

K

If you go to Google maps you can see a modern day look. I tried to do a screen capture but I am not computer savvy.

I believe that this is the place...


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You can still see the distinctive brickwork on the corner of the building.

K

Congratulation, a family business for 113 years and many more to come!

The picture that Bruce posted is one of our buildings as you can see Annex and the address is 585 McCarter Highway. Back in the day this was just a fenced in lot that we used for vehicles that were towed in for repair or salvage. Theft became a problem with the vehicles that were kept there so we had to build a facility for indoor storage. Now it is basically used by Enterprise rent-a-car. The building in the pictures I posted the address is 597 McCarter Highway which was the blacksmith shop/body shop. I will ask my nephews for some current pictures with the cobblestone street that is still there.

Here are three more pictures of the current site that was once a Blacksmith Shop. We still have the cobblestone street that was there in 1912. A picture of one of the anvils my grandfather used in his Blacksmith Shop.

That's way too cool!

Yes!! Very cool!!

Is there a longer standing bodyshop? Much less a family operation??
This is something to be proud of!!!

The Auto Body Shop is still in operation and still is a family business since 1912.