Snapshots in Time: Reed Brothers Dodge Then and Now
Reed Brothers Dodge occupies a distinctive place in Montgomery County’s commercial and transportation history, operating as a family-run dealership for nearly a century and weathering profound shifts in American life. Established in 1915 by automobile pioneer Lewis Reed and later joined by his brother Edgar, the firm grew from a modest Rockville garage into one of the nation’s oldest continuously operated Dodge dealerships, surviving two world wars, economic downturns, and repeated upheavals in the auto industry. “Snapshots in Time: Reed Brothers Dodge Then and Now” examines this trajectory through paired historical and contemporary images, inviting readers to view the dealership not simply as a business, but as a long-running institution that helped drive Montgomery County’s transition from rural crossroads to modern suburb. (click images to enlarge)
The black-and-white photograph on the left shows Lewis Reed’s original Rockville Garage in 1915, located at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike. In the early days of the automobile, many dealerships evolved from existing repair garages, and Rockville Garage was no exception. That same year, Lewis Reed became a partner with Robert L. and Griffith Warfield. The Warfield brothers later purchased the building in July 1915 from Lee Ricketts and Sons, who had operated the local Overland agency. The business continued under the Rockville Garage name until, shortly after Edgar Reed joined his brother, it was renamed at the suggestion of the late Judge Edward Peter.
The image on the right is a 1970 artist’s rendering of the new Reed Brothers Dodge dealership, representing a pivotal moment in the company’s history. After 55 years at the original downtown triangle location, Lee Gartner purchased 4.37 acres from Eugene Casey and relocated the business to a modern facility at 15955 Frederick Road in Rockville. Featuring a contemporary showroom and a full Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep service complex, the new site marked the beginning of a new era, while carrying forward a legacy that began nearly six decades earlier in a modest corner garage.
The black and white photograph above, taken by Lewis Reed, shows the original Reed Brothers Dodge dealership nearly 80 years ago… and on the right is the same location today, now known as Veterans Park. In the 1970s, the site was briefly called Francis Scott Key Memorial Park, before being permanently rededicated as Veterans Park in 1988 to honor those who served. During the late 1960s, the State of Maryland acquired the property to widen Route 355. The remaining portion of land was donated to the City of Rockville, and a small street created behind the dealership was named “Dodge Street”—a lasting tribute to the more than 50 years Reed Brothers Dodge called that location home. What was once a center of automotive innovation has been transformed into a quiet place of remembrance, but the legacy of Reed Brothers Dodge remains forever etched in the street signs and stories of Rockville’s past.
These photographs show the intersection of King Farm Boulevard and Frederick Road; the site where Reed Brothers Dodge stood proudly for more than 40 years. The image on the left, captured by Google Street View in April 2012, shows the dealership just before it closed its doors for the last time.
Today, the legacy of Reed Brothers Dodge continues in a new form. On the right, the property is now home to The Reed, a rebranded apartment complex that pays tribute to the site’s deep roots in local history. In early 2025, the familiar Bainbridge name officially disappeared from 15955 Frederick Road in Rockville. Along with the signage, the apartment complex underwent a complete rebranding, now honoring the legacy of the Reed family and the dealership that once stood there. Though the building is gone, the memory of Reed Brothers Dodge remains deeply rooted in the landscape and spirit of the community.
The black and white photograph above was taken by Lewis Reed in 1915, looking west from the site of his original Rockville Garage. Visible in the image is the dealership’s very first “gas station”—a single pump. In the distance, an early trolley car makes its way along Main Street (now Rockville Pike), part of a transit line that operated from 1900 to 1935, running past Reed Brothers Dodge. Also visible in the background is the historic St. Mary’s Cemetery, a landmark that still exists today.
Fast forward to the present, and the same view seen on the right looks dramatically different. The once-quiet corridor has evolved into what locals now affectionately call “the mixing bowl,” a complex web of modern roads, traffic signals, and constant motion. While the landscape has changed, the photo offers a rare window into the early days of Rockville’s automotive and transit history.
The “then” photograph above was taken by Lewis Reed in 1953 at the corner of East Montgomery Avenue and Dodge Street. It captures the newly constructed building, which housed the showroom along with the parts and service departments. When the State of Maryland widened the surrounding roads in 1970, the connector street behind the dealership’s original location was officially named “Dodge Street,” a nod to the many years Reed Brothers Dodge operated there—from 1915 to 1970.
The “now” image on the right is a Google Maps view of the same location, captured in 2016—64 years later—showing just how dramatically the area has changed over time.
Both of the “then and now” images above are Google Maps Street View photographs taken just ten years apart. The image on the left shows Reed Brothers Dodge in 2007, while the image on the right captures the same site after its transformation into the Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments.
In early 2025, the familiar Bainbridge name officially disappeared from 15955 Frederick Road in Rockville. Along with the signage, the apartment complex underwent a complete rebranding. Today, the property is known simply as The Reed, a name that pays tribute to the site’s deep roots in local history.
The 1917 photo on the left is the original Rockville Garage located at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike, 100 years ago. Note the unpaved dirt road on Rockville Pike and trolley tracks running past the Rockville Garage. Both photographs were taken by Lewis Reed on the Rockville Pike side of the dealership.
On the right, is the same location 50 years later of the Reed Brothers Dodge Gulf Gasoline station. Due to changes in the highway, Reed Brothers began an extensive remodeling and rebuilding program. Two-thirds of the original location at the junction of then Route 240 and Veirs Mill Road was razed and a modern Gulf Service Station was erected.
On the left is a mid-1960s view from the corner of Veirs Mill Road and Dodge Street showing the new building for Reed Brothers Service Department. On the right is a Google street view image of the same location today, 50 years later.
The photograph on the left shows a side view of the Rockville Garage, including its two-story addition to the original shop, taken nearly a century ago. The first floor housed the service department, while the upper level was used for parts storage. A tall chimney, likely connected to a coal furnace, provided heat, and the abundance of windows flooded the workspace with natural light for servicing early automobiles. By this time, Firestone Tire signage had replaced the earlier Fisk brand sold at Rockville Garage in 1915.
The photograph on the right was taken in 1968 from the same location, roughly 50 years later. By then, major highway changes had dramatically altered the site. Nearly two-thirds of the original property at the junction of what was then Route 240 and Veirs Mill Road had been razed, making way for a modern Gulf service station.
The beginning and the end at 15955 Frederick Road: 1970 and 2013.
The photograph on the left shows the dealership’s newly completed building in 1970, following its move from the original location at the triangle formed by Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike. This modern facility marked Reed Brothers Dodge’s 55th year of selling Dodge vehicles and signaled a new chapter for the business.
The image on the right was taken on May 16, 2013. The building stands vacant, photographed on the very day demolition began, bringing nearly a century of automotive history at this location to a close.
The photograph on the left shows rows of beige and baby-blue cars lined up neatly in the side lot. Just across the road stands King Farm, dominated by its large barn painted with the words “Milk for Thompson’s Dairy,” long before the land was transformed into a dense mixed-use community. At the time, Lawson King’s dairy cows grazed in fields only a few feet from the roadway. At its height, King Farm was the area’s largest milk producer and had remained in agricultural use for nearly 75 years before development was approved in 1996.
The image on the right was taken from the same vantage point in 2009, more than three decades later. The familiar barn still rises in the background, but the surrounding fields are gone, replaced by the streets, buildings, and neighborhoods of what is now known as King Farm.
Looking at these images side by side, it’s clear that progress doesn’t erase history, it builds on it. Streets may widen, buildings may disappear, and businesses may move on, but traces of what once was are still there for those who know where to look. Lewis Reed’s photographs give us a rare anchor to the past, allowing today’s landscape to be seen with new eyes. In comparing then and now, we’re reminded that Rockville’s story is not just about change, but about continuity, memory, and the people who lived and worked along these streets long before us.
Then & Now: The Original 1917 Rockville Garage
Reed Brothers Dodge and the surrounding area sure has changed a lot in its almost century-long history. You might not realize how much things have changed until you look back and see what it looked like in the past. For this post, I have used one of Lewis Reed’s original photographs for “then” and a Google Maps street view image from today for “now”.
1917 view of the original Rockville Garage two-story addition. Until 1920, Dodge sported a set of six hexagonal windows in the back of each passenger cabin on their Touring and Roaster models. These were called cathedral lights and became the first trademark feature to make Dodge vehicles stand out from the rest. Parked in front is an early Dodge car with the exclusive Dodge Brothers cathedral-style rear curtain windows.
NOW: The color photograph below, is the dealership’s location today, now known as Veterans Park. In the 1970s the site was known as the Francis Scott Key Memorial Park, and later in 1988, it was permanently rededicated as Veterans Park. In the late 1960s, the state of Maryland acquired the land to widen 355 and donated the remaining sliver to the City. The connector street behind the dealership’s original location was named “Dodge Street” by the State of Maryland following the dealership’s 1941 expansion. Dodge Street today is one of the shortest roads in the State of Maryland, running between the Rockville Pike (at Richard Montgomery High School) and Veirs Mill Road, a distance of only 250 feet.
Rockville Garage (Reed Brothers Dodge) original location at the triangle today. Google Image Capture, 2021
Happy Birthday to Lewis Reed Founder of Reed Brothers Dodge
This ca. 1965 photo of Lewis Reed was taken in the new car showroom at Reed Brothers Dodge original location at the triangle at Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike.
Happy 136th birthday Lewis Reed! The founder of Reed Brothers Dodge was born on this day in 1887 in Darnestown, Maryland. In 1915, he founded what would become the oldest Dodge dealership under the same family ownership in the state of Maryland, and one of the oldest in the entire nation.
Lewis Reed was just 27 years old when he started selling cars built by brothers Horace and John Dodge in Detroit. Few people jumped onto the Dodge Brothers bandwagon earlier than Lewis Reed, and not many have lasted longer. Reed Brothers was franchised as a Dodge dealership and service facility less than one year after the first Dodge automobile rolled off the assembly line. Lewis Reed was the first to sell Dodge cars in Montgomery County, Maryland and his company was the first Gulf gas dealer in the Washington, D.C. area. During the early years, Reed Brothers represented several franchise nameplates along with Dodge, including Oldsmobile, Hudson and Essex. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1923.
Lewis Reed was a member of the Gaithersburg Grace Methodist Church where he served as a member and Chairman of the Board of Stewards, a Lay Leader, and President of the Men’s Bible Class. He was one of nine original incorporators of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department when it was created by charter in 1928. He was a Charter Member and Past President of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department and a member of the advisory board of the Rockville Branch of the First National Bank of Maryland. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge of Rockville, the Pentalpha Chapter of the Eastern Star and the Rockville Rotary Club. Before opening his Dodge dealership in 1915, Lewis Reed was one of the earliest and most prolific photographers in Montgomery County. Many of his photographs are now part of Montgomery History’s photo archives. Unsurprisingly, his love of both cars and cameras resulted in his taking numerous pictures of car culture all over the State of Maryland as it developed from infancy to supremacy.
Prior to World War I, Lewis Reed’s love of automobiles led him to becoming a chauffeur. Chauffeurs were not only trained to be proficient with their driving skills, but they also had to keep the luxury automobiles in tip top shape which is where his mechanic training would have come into play. He received his training as an automobile mechanic at the Pierce Arrow factory at Buffalo, New York, the Dodge and Hudson factories at Detroit and the Washington Auto College.
Active in the dealership daily until the day of his death, Lewis Reed passed on January 28, 1967 at the age of 79. Shortly after his death, the Senate of Maryland passed Senate Resolution No. 10, expressing “the deepest regret and sympathy of every member of this body,” describing Reed as “a kindly and loyal person completely devoted to his duties” which he carried out “with fairness and human understanding.” The resolution was sponsored by Senator Thomas M. Anderson, Jr. and Senator Louise Gore.
When you look back and consider what has taken place in the world in the past 100 years or so, you gain a perspective of what Lewis Reed faced. He overcame a lot of obstacles throughout his life. He steered his dealership through World War I, The Great Depression and World War II. When Reed Brothers had no new cars to sell for three and a half years and many dealers went bankrupt, he converted his car showroom into a display room and sold GE Washing Machines, Westinghouse Radios, and other large appliances. Reed Brothers Dodge occupied two locations, the original at the Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike intersection and the second at 15955 Frederick Road in front of the Shady Grove Metro.
Lewis Reed set an outstanding example through his success, but more importantly through his sacrifices and commitment to the community he served. Today, Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments pays tribute to the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland with commemorative art on the former site of the iconic Reed Brothers dealership.
Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments now stands on the former site of the Reed Brothers Dodge dealership at 15955 Frederick Road. A sculpture now installed on the property pays tribute to the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland history. More than 20 feet high, and over 6 feet wide, the public art is inspired by 1939 Dodge headlamps, and the fender of a 1957 Dodge pickup truck.
Happy Birthday to Our Founder, Lewis Reed
This ca. 1965 photo of Lewis Reed was taken in the new car showroom at Reed Brothers Dodge original location at the triangle at Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike.
Lewis Reed was born in Darnestown, Maryland on November 25, 1887 and was the founder of Reed Brothers Dodge. When Lewis Reed opened his car dealership in October 1915, he never knew he was starting a family tradition that would be carried out for 97 years and three generations. He founded what would become the oldest Dodge dealership under the same family ownership in the state of Maryland, and one of the oldest in the entire United States.
Lewis Reed was just 27 years old when he started selling cars built by brothers Horace and John Dodge in Detroit. Few people jumped onto the Dodge Brothers bandwagon earlier than Lewis Reed, and not many have lasted longer. Reed Brothers was franchised as a Dodge dealership and service facility less than one year after the first Dodge automobile rolled off the assembly line. Lewis Reed was the first to sell Dodge cars in Montgomery County, Maryland and his company was the first Gulf gas dealer in the Washington, D.C. area. During the early years, Reed Brothers represented several franchise nameplates along with Dodge, including Oldsmobile, Hudson and Essex. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1923.
Lewis Reed was a member of the Gaithersburg Grace Methodist Church where he served as a member and Chairman of the Board of Stewards, a Lay Leader, and President of the Men’s Bible Class. He was one of nine original incorporators of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department when it was created by charter in 1928. He was a Charter Member and Past President of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department and a member of the advisory board of the Rockville Branch of the First National Bank of Maryland. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge of Rockville, the Pentalpha Chapter of the Eastern Star and the Rockville Rotary Club. Before opening his Dodge dealership in 1915, Lewis Reed was one of the earliest and most prolific photographers in Montgomery County. Many of his photographs are now part of Montgomery History’s photo archives. Unsurprisingly, his love of both cars and cameras resulted in his taking numerous pictures of car culture all over the State of Maryland as it developed from infancy to supremacy.
Prior to World War I, Lewis Reed’s love of automobiles led him to becoming a chauffeur. Chauffeurs were not only trained to be proficient with their driving skills, but they also had to keep the luxury automobiles in tip top shape which is where his mechanic training would have come into play. He received his training as an automobile mechanic at the Pierce Arrow factory at Buffalo, New York, the Dodge and Hudson factories at Detroit and the Washington Auto College.
Active in the dealership daily until the day of his death, Lewis Reed passed on January 28, 1967 at the age of 79. Shortly after his death, the Senate of Maryland passed Senate Resolution No. 10, expressing “the deepest regret and sympathy of every member of this body,” describing Reed as “a kindly and loyal person completely devoted to his duties” which he carried out “with fairness and human understanding.” The resolution was sponsored by Senator Thomas M. Anderson, Jr. and Senator Louise Gore.
When you look back and consider what has taken place in the world in the past 100 years or so, you gain a perspective of what Lewis Reed faced. He overcame a lot of obstacles throughout his life. He steered his dealership through World War I, The Great Depression and World War II. When Reed Brothers had no new cars to sell for three and a half years and many dealers went bankrupt, he converted his car showroom into a display room and sold GE Washing Machines, Westinghouse Radios, and other large appliances. Reed Brothers Dodge occupied two locations, the original at the Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike intersection and the second at 15955 Frederick Road in front of the Shady Grove Metro.
Lewis Reed set an outstanding example through his success, but more importantly through his sacrifices and commitment to the community he served. Today, Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments pays tribute to the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland with commemorative art on the former site of the iconic Reed Brothers dealership.
Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments now stands on the former site of the Reed Brothers Dodge dealership at 15955 Frederick Road. A sculpture now installed on the property pays tribute to the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland history. More than 20 feet high, and over 6 feet wide, the public art is inspired by 1939 Dodge headlamps, and the fender of a 1957 Dodge pickup truck.
Happy Birthday to Lewis Reed, Founder of Reed Brothers Dodge
This ca. 1965 photo of Lewis Reed was taken in the new car showroom at Reed Brothers Dodge original location at the triangle at Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike.
Lewis Reed was born in Darnestown, Maryland on November 25, 1887 and was the founder of Reed Brothers Dodge. When Lewis Reed opened his car dealership in October 1915, he never knew he was starting a family tradition that would be carried out for 97 years and three generations. He founded what would become the oldest Dodge dealership under the same family ownership in the state of Maryland, and one of the oldest in the entire nation.
Lewis Reed was just 27 years old when he started selling cars built by brothers Horace and John Dodge in Detroit. Few people jumped onto the Dodge Brothers bandwagon earlier than Lewis Reed, and not many have lasted longer. Reed Brothers was franchised as a Dodge dealership and service facility less than one year after the first Dodge automobile rolled off the assembly line.
Lewis Reed was the first to sell Dodge cars in Montgomery County, Maryland and his company was the first Gulf gas dealer in the Washington, D.C. area. During the early years, Reed Brothers represented several franchise nameplates along with Dodge, including Oldsmobile, Hudson and Essex. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1923.
Before becoming interested in automobiles, Lewis Reed was one of the original employees of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, a Georgetown-based manufacturing firm that eventually became International Business Machines, Inc. He received his automotive training at the Pierce-Arrow factory in Buffalo, New York, the Dodge Hamtramck and Hudson Motor Car factories in Detroit, Michigan and the Washington Auto College.
A Charter Member and Past President of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Lewis Reed was also a member of the advisory board of the Rockville branch of the First National Bank of Maryland, and belonged to the Masonic Lodge of Rockville, the Pentalpha Chapter of the Eastern Star, and the Rockville Rotary Club.
At his death on January 28, 1967 at the age of 79, the Senate of Maryland passed Senate Resolution No. 10, expressing “the deepest regret and sympathy of every member of this body,” describing Reed as “a kindly and loyal person completely devoted to his duties” which he carried out “with fairness and human understanding.” The resolution was sponsored by Senator Thomas M. Anderson, Jr. and Senator Louise Gore.
When you look back and consider what has taken place in the world in the past 100 years or so, you gain a perspective of what Lewis Reed faced. He overcame a lot of obstacles throughout his life. He steered his dealership through World War I, The Great Depression and World War II. When Reed Brothers had no new cars to sell for three and a half years and many dealers went bankrupt, he converted his car showroom into a display room and sold GE washing machines and other appliances. Reed Brothers Dodge occupied two locations, the original at the Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike intersection and the second at 15955 Frederick Road in front of the Shady Grove Metro.
Lewis Reed set an outstanding example through his success, but more importantly through his sacrifices and commitment to the community he served. Today, Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments pays homage to the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland with commemorative art on the former site of the iconic Reed Brothers dealership.
Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro Apartments now stands on the former site of the Reed Brothers Dodge dealership at 15955 Frederick Road. But a sculpture now installed on the property pays tribute to the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland history. More than 20 feet high, and over 6 feet wide, the public art is inspired by 1939 Dodge headlamps, and the fender of a 1957 Dodge pickup truck.
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Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
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