Thursday, May 23, 2013

A Different Kind Of Grease Next To Five Guys

The framing and paneling is up on a new building on the north side of Washington Street, between the Five Guys Burger joint and the Citgo gasoline station. The new building incorporates several walls of what was probably an old service station.

 It will house a new Mobile 1 Lube Express, an oil change service station. It is being built by the same person who owns the Mobil Oil change on Newfield Street.

 

7 comments:

cat said...

Darn! I was totally hoping for an ice cream shoppe!

Anonymous said...

These kind of business will be running neck and neck with the restaurant business..How many of those do we have? How about getting us some nice clothing shops...? REMEMBER, Bunce, Kabachinicks, Wrubels? We need more of that NOT more food places and oil changes...HELP

Mr. Fixit said...

The "several walls" seen at the rear of the photo of the new building were part of Custom Carpets, owned & operated by Al Hamrah for most of the last 50 years. I have no knowledge of what preceded Custom Carpets at that location; perhaps another reader can provide that info.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Fixit is correct...but whether anything pre-dated Custom Carpets is an open question. I was once visiting with Mr. Hamrah when he showed me a mark on the wall - it was the high water mark from when the building flooded...I think it was the hurricane of 1938. Is that possible?

Anonymous said...

It's "Mobil" not "mobile"

Anonymous said...

Custom Carpet is listed at that location since at least 1965. Before then there was company by the name of Hendel Petroleum Co- 'The Bottle Gas Co.'. in 1960.
In 1950, there is a tavern and residences listed at 564 and what seems to be a two-family before them.
The flood may have been 1955-
Photo of the building in 1955-http://www.middletownplanning.com/images/historic/WashingtonSt_Flood002_1955.jpg

The 1934 State Aerial photos show a field between Factory Street(O'Rourke Dr) and Washington Street.

Anonymous said...

The road looks pretty torn up. Perhaps it's time to resurface it? Probably should widen it too. Put in a medium or some jersey borrowers?