I have been asked by Editor Miner to answer a question from someone at the NextSTL website regarding what businesses or entities occupied the four corners of the intersection of Manchester and Big Bend in 1955. I can share this with my readers and kill two birds with one stone. I believe I have covered all of this before in past posts but bear with me. You may have forgotten some of it. I put some numbers on an aerial image that may help.
Number one was a Ford dealer. Many Maplewoodians will remember Cavalier Ford which was there not that long ago. In 1955, the business was named Roeper-Danz Ford.Number two was the second Maplewood City Hall which included the Fire and Police Departments and the Library. Directly at the corner, in front of the city hall was a WWII war memorial.The second city hall was sold amid controversy in 1962.
In this very interesting photo taken of the Honor Roll dedication, a Shell service station can be seen at the left rear, number 4 on the aerial image. At the right rear is an A&P Supermarket. The building was later remodeled by adding a second story and eventually became the home to a Ford dealership that had a succession of owners. Courtesy of the Maplewood Public Library.This image was made about 1930 judging from the automobiles visible. On the left is the service station at number 4 on the aerial photo. On the right is a view of the buildings at number three. This is the only photograph (other than aerials) I have ever found of the buildings on that corner. The city hall exists but on the corner where the war memorial would one day be is another service station. Service stations on three of the four corners… maybe we have improved on that a bit? From the Kalb collection courtesy of Martin Fischer.
Well, I can say for certain what was on three of the four corners in 1955. I hope that will satisfy the inquiring mind at NextSTL. I added numbers five and six to the aerial image as a bonus. Number five is the much missed, by those of us who appreciate good architecture, Masonic Temple.
Another aerial view of the buildings under discussion. Notice the lamella roof over the service area of the Ford dealer’s building. I hated to see that go. I have a note that this image is from the 1950s.A sad day in 1984.Ditto.The arched window from over the front door of our Masonic Temple now in the collection of the National Building Arts Center. Thanks to Dan Walper for help with that. Sadly, we lost my good friend, Larry Giles, this year as well.These folks are unidentified but the one in the middle looks familiar. Masonic Temple in the background. From the collection of the Maplewood Public Library.Finally, number 6 on the aerial photo is the building once occupied by Holekamp Lumber Co., now home to Side Project Brewing. Courtesy of Matt Williams.
Thanks again to everyone who contributes to this effort. It continues to be entertaining. I appreciate very much your interest and support.
Doug Houser October 26, 2021
Addenda: In response to comments made by Jim Scheidt below, I am posting the following images. DH 10/27/2021
This superb photograph was compliments of Mary Piles.From Tom Bakersmith. Thanks, Tom.
16 COMMENTS
I remember the Shoneys. It was the building that remained after the property was taken over by Cavalier Ford. I confused that with the Sambos that was down Manchester west of Hanley. They both opened around the same time.
Doug, As I am sure you know, the Honor Roll has always fascinated me. As the article states, it was designed to be relocated to a new location, yet it is lost…fascinating and sad. You would think someone would remember where it went or what happened to it. I wonder if any descendants of the Worsham family are still in the area?
I just don’t know, Luke. Ancestry.com might be the way to go to find out but I can’t say for sure because I have never looked at it. Good luck.
Doug, It has been 66 years, but I would swear that the Southeast Corner of Manchester and Big Bend had a Plymouth Dealership. It might have been Whitey Dorn Plymouth. Pop bought a 1950 Plymouth station wagon there. I’m hazy on the exact date, but I remember walking by the building and it had big showroom windows to display cars. I believe that Whitey Dorn Plymouth later moved North on Big Bend in Richmond Heights. Bob remembers the car dealership also on that corner. He thought it was a Dodge Plymouth dealership. He said there was a guy who sold fallout shelters had an office the 2nd floor of that building.
Hey Jim, Usually it is very easy to find information about car dealers with my Newspapers.com subscription simply because they advertised so much. Generally I find way too much information. Not so with Whitey Dorn. Searching in the Post and Globe I found only one article and curiously no advertisements. I’ll post it above. To summarize, the 1963 article states that the dealer has been located at 1150 South Big Bend since 1945. Any other ideas?
The only other car dealer in that general vicinity that I have an image of is Lowry Motors. I’ll post it above as well.
Thanks for your comment. Good to hear from you.
The Plymouth dealer was Ted’s Motors.
Indeed it was. Thanks, Tom.
Thanks very much, Doug! So I’m guessing White Castle took over the northeast corner not long after city hall moved.
You’re welcome. I think that’s correct.
where is any mention of Maplewood High School?
Well, Charles, The short answer is there isn’t any but if you look closely at the first aerial photo you can see the track.
I remember the Masonic Temple but did not remember the way the building was built. I did not remember what almost looks like a patio or deck on the top of the building in the front. Now that I look at the building it almost looks like the front was added onto another building. I was never in the building but do remember being sad to see it come down.
I always wondered the reason it was torn down. Dwindling membership in the Masons which lead to lack of funding and need for a building that size? And then when the opportunity arrived they sold and consolidated with some other group? I am guessing there are still Masonic Lodges but for the life of me cannot seem to think of where they might be.
Hey Mark, First, I don’t believe the front was added to the building. I think what you see was all part of the initial construction.
I remember talking to the architect, Andy Kusnierkiewicz, who was on the Planning and Zoning board at the time the building was demolished. He told me exactly what you suspected. That was that the membership had aged and dwindled and could no longer support the building. Shame, ain’t it, that an adaptive reuse couldn’t be found for that beautiful building. Instead we got a short-lived Shoney’s Restaurant in a disposable piece of architecture on the site.
I hate to say it but we visited Shoneys fairly often with my wife and kids. Always went for the buffet because there was something for everyone in the family on the tables. I did not think the food was that bad and seem to remember the kids were something like 99 cents for their meals. Of course that was years ago but we ate there often enough that the memory is there.
I loved Shoney’s also. The manager was really a great guy. I worked at the bank and we would close on Friday from 2-4 The bank would reopen at 4 and stay open until 7. A lot of the employees would go down to eat at Shoney’s on a Friday night waiting for the bank to reopen. Good memories. Also the Piccadilly Cafeteria when it was on Sutton. I loved all the fish dinners there.
I remember the Shoneys. It was the building that remained after the property was taken over by Cavalier Ford. I confused that with the Sambos that was down Manchester west of Hanley. They both opened around the same time.
We knew about Ted’s Motors. We just forgot. https://bit.ly/3CvE6vu
Doug, As I am sure you know, the Honor Roll has always fascinated me. As the article states, it was designed to be relocated to a new location, yet it is lost…fascinating and sad. You would think someone would remember where it went or what happened to it. I wonder if any descendants of the Worsham family are still in the area?
I just don’t know, Luke. Ancestry.com might be the way to go to find out but I can’t say for sure because I have never looked at it. Good luck.
Doug, It has been 66 years, but I would swear that the Southeast Corner of Manchester and Big Bend had a Plymouth Dealership. It might have been Whitey Dorn Plymouth. Pop bought a 1950 Plymouth station wagon there. I’m hazy on the exact date, but I remember walking by the building and it had big showroom windows to display cars. I believe that Whitey Dorn Plymouth later moved North on Big Bend in Richmond Heights. Bob remembers the car dealership also on that corner. He thought it was a Dodge Plymouth dealership. He said there was a guy who sold fallout shelters had an office the 2nd floor of that building.
Hey Jim, Usually it is very easy to find information about car dealers with my Newspapers.com subscription simply because they advertised so much. Generally I find way too much information. Not so with Whitey Dorn. Searching in the Post and Globe I found only one article and curiously no advertisements. I’ll post it above. To summarize, the 1963 article states that the dealer has been located at 1150 South Big Bend since 1945. Any other ideas?
The only other car dealer in that general vicinity that I have an image of is Lowry Motors. I’ll post it above as well.
Thanks for your comment. Good to hear from you.
The Plymouth dealer was Ted’s Motors.
Indeed it was. Thanks, Tom.
Thanks very much, Doug! So I’m guessing White Castle took over the northeast corner not long after city hall moved.
You’re welcome. I think that’s correct.
where is any mention of Maplewood High School?
Well, Charles, The short answer is there isn’t any but if you look closely at the first aerial photo you can see the track.
I remember the Masonic Temple but did not remember the way the building was built. I did not remember what almost looks like a patio or deck on the top of the building in the front. Now that I look at the building it almost looks like the front was added onto another building. I was never in the building but do remember being sad to see it come down.
I always wondered the reason it was torn down. Dwindling membership in the Masons which lead to lack of funding and need for a building that size? And then when the opportunity arrived they sold and consolidated with some other group? I am guessing there are still Masonic Lodges but for the life of me cannot seem to think of where they might be.
Hey Mark, First, I don’t believe the front was added to the building. I think what you see was all part of the initial construction.
I remember talking to the architect, Andy Kusnierkiewicz, who was on the Planning and Zoning board at the time the building was demolished. He told me exactly what you suspected. That was that the membership had aged and dwindled and could no longer support the building. Shame, ain’t it, that an adaptive reuse couldn’t be found for that beautiful building. Instead we got a short-lived Shoney’s Restaurant in a disposable piece of architecture on the site.
I hate to say it but we visited Shoneys fairly often with my wife and kids. Always went for the buffet because there was something for everyone in the family on the tables. I did not think the food was that bad and seem to remember the kids were something like 99 cents for their meals. Of course that was years ago but we ate there often enough that the memory is there.
I loved Shoney’s also. The manager was really a great guy. I worked at the bank and we would close on Friday from 2-4 The bank would reopen at 4 and stay open until 7. A lot of the employees would go down to eat at Shoney’s on a Friday night waiting for the bank to reopen. Good memories. Also the Piccadilly Cafeteria when it was on Sutton. I loved all the fish dinners there.
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