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Drive In Here: 1925

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "L Street Garage, between 17th and 18th on L Street N.W." The garage and adjacent Washington Accessories Co. store and gas station can also be seen in these photos. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "L Street Garage, between 17th and 18th on L Street N.W." The garage and adjacent Washington Accessories Co. store and gas station can also be seen in these photos. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

 

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Next to the Hotel Walker, soon to be known as --

Mayflower Hotel

The Washington Post article about the garage references a "Hotel Walker" under construction next door. The high expenses incurred by Mr. Walker's investment company building what was originally to be known as the Hotel Walker forced its sale even before its doors opened. The purchasers obviously needed a new name, and picked one in honor of the recent 300th anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth Rock, borrowing the name of the ship that brought them there. A Washington landmark was thus born.

Hot in there

The shop I currently work at, and have for the last 35 years, is situated on a hill with bay doors on both sides of the building. Any breeze that comes by goes through the building. We have a plethora of paperweights for when it gets too windy.

In the '70s, I worked in a shop that just had one bay door with a few windows on the other side. It would get over 110 in there on a hot August day. I can imagine how hot it is on the top floors of this building with only a fan to keep the air moving. Combining the high ambient temperature with the hot engines and no air conditioning means the old time mechanics were a lot tougher than the current generation.

A Splendid New Garage

The Washington Post -- March 25, 1923

Garage at 1707 L St. Will Cost $225,000

Modern 4-Story Structure to Be Erected
By Walker Investment Co. for W.T. Galliher.

        A modern, fireproof garage building will be erected by the Allan E. Walker Investment Company at 1707 [actually 1705] L street northwest for William T. Galliher, it was announced at the office of the company yesterday.
        The structure will be four stories in height and will front 45 feet on K street [sic] and have a depth of 135 feet.
        It is planned to operate the building as a storage garage. This development covers the only remaining space in the entire square with the exception of a small frontage on Connecticut avenue, adjoining the Hotel Walker, now under construction.
        The ground and building will represent an investment of approximately $225,000. The construction work will be supervised by the building department of the Allan E. Walker Investment Company. Robert F. Beresford is the architect.
        The entire block bounded by Connecticut avenue, DeSales street, Seventeenth street and L street, containing approximately 100,000 square feet, was purchased about four years ago by W.T. Galliher. At that time it was occupied by the Visitation Convent. The Hotel Walker will occupy the north half of the block and office and business buildings occupy the south half. The development of this property has given impetus to the remarkable business growth of the Connecticut avenue section.

Ad in the Sept. 30, 1923, Washington Post:

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