Demolition Begins at Former Reed Brothers Dodge
Dealership Front
A long time landmark in Rockville is coming down. Two large backhoes started demolishing the car dealership building on Thursday, May 16, 2013 to make way for a mixed use development. When the state widened the roads in 1970, Reed Brothers Dodge relocated from its original facility at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike (now Veterans Park) to a new 26,000 square foot showroom and Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep service complex located at 15955 Frederick Road in Rockville, Maryland. (click on images to enlarge)
A business landmark in Rockville since 1915, Reed Brothers Dodge was one of the 15 dealerships in Maryland and 789 dealerships nationwide notified by Chrysler that their franchise agreement would not be renewed. During this time when many car dealers had to close their doors, Reed Brothers drew on its traditions, got creative, and managed to come up with the right stuff to survive. The signs that stood outside on Rockville Pike still said Reed Brothers Dodge, but inside, a new business was forming: Reed Brothers Automotive. Reed Brothers changed its name from Reed Brothers Dodge to Reed Brothers Automotive, and continued on as a used car dealer and repair shop until May 2012.
Service Dept being reduced to rubble
After almost a century of serving Rockville – and three years after Chrysler terminated the Reed Brothers Dodge franchise – the dealership property went to settlement on August 30, 2012. The site was sold to Bainbridge Shady Grove, LLC whose plans include constructing a $90M project to include a 6-story residential building with 417 multi-family units and a 517 space parking structure.
What’s remaining of the Showroom, Parts Dept and Body Shop
On the side looking back at the rear lot.
A couple of funny things happened to me while I was photographing the demolition… In order to get decent shots, I had to pull my car onto the neighboring CARMAX lot. Well, as soon as I got out of my car and pointed my camera at the work in progress, a CARMAX salesman approached and asked, “would you like me to appraise your car, ma’am?” When I told him who I was and what I was doing (and no, I did not wish to have my car appraised…haha!), he reached out, shook my hand and replied, “no problem ma’am, nice to meet you.” So, I went on about my business without being bugged by anymore car salesmen.
View from CARMAX lot of the Service Department being demolished
Next, I wanted to get some pictures from a different angle, so I decided to try to go (sneak?) through the front entrance — past the sign on the gate that said “NO TRESPASSING”. Eeek! I usually do not even THINK about doing those kinds of things, but I did anyway knowing it was going to be my only chance to get these photos. No sooner did I get out of my car and point my camera, a worker came over to inform me that I was on private property. That was the weirdest feeling of all. After yet another brief explanation of who I was and what I was doing he was very polite and warned me to stay clear of the heavy equipment. Yes sir!!
Front entrance “gate guards” and remains of street signage laying on the ground
Parts Department
Heavy equipment parked on side lot
It was a bittersweet moment for me to stand there and watch as workers tore down what had been my family’s livelihood for 97 years. As part of the third generation of the family, we leave behind us many good memories and a true legacy for the people in our company, the community, and our family.
It’s change.
It’s time for another chapter in Reed Brothers Dodge history.
One Year, 43 Posts & Thank You
Today marks the one-year anniversary of this blog. Thank you for your patronage, support, and comments over the past year. It’s been an honor to share the history of Reed Brothers Dodge – whether you’ve read our blog, followed us on Twitter, or “liked” us on Facebook. I would like to also thank those mentioned below, and many others, for their kind words and the visibility they have provided.
To help review the past year I thought I’d search around on the Internet and see what others have been saying about us.
Included among the posts on our Facebook page:
National Capital Trolley Museum shared a photo from Lewis Reed’s collection. August 6, 2012. “We’re delighted to see Reed Brothers Dodge History has become a fan of ours on Facebook. Here’s an image of the Reed Brothers themselves riding the trolley to Rockville, about the time the business was founded. Image in collection of, and hosted by, Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation Ltd.”
The Hermitage “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to see a photo of the Pigeon Bridge on Veirs Mill! My dad used to give his parents a heart attack by walking atop the span when he was a kid (he always loved heights). Thank you so much for posting! Keep ’em coming!”
Other mentions online and in print:
- Blog Search Engine posted the following review:
“Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 is a blog dedicated to the family who founded and continue to run the Reed Brothers Dodge, a car dealership in Rockville, Maryland.
This family-run business has been in operation for almost a century, a feat that certainly is not common in the world of business today. More than talking about cars, dealership, and business, this blog also brings history alive. The blog is run by Jeanne Gartner, the granddaughter of Lewis Reed, the founder of the business.
She continues to keep the memory of her predecessors alive by documenting the past. Reading the blog is like taking a walk down history. Not only do you get to learn about firsts in the business, but you also get to take a peek into the lives of those who have gone before us.
It’s a family memoir of sorts, but you also see a story that is worth to be read by everyone.”
- The Montgomery County Historical Society (Maryland) listed our blog under the History & Resources section of their website, entitled “Other Local History on the Web“.
- Joanna Church, Director of Collections and author of “A Fine Collection”, the official blog of the Montgomery County Historical Society (Maryland), credited an historic photo by Lewis Reed on her post Railroad “Quarterly Commutation Ticket,” 1915
- At the Beall-Dawson House February 2 – May 5, 2013, The Montgomery County Historical Society presented an exhibit, “History, Memory, Artifact, Art: Photographs of Everyday Life” which included many of Lewis Reed’s photos and original negatives.
- Maryland Automobile Dealers Association: A photograph of Lewis Reed and his Rockville Garage has been printed on page 4 of the FALL 2010 edition of MADAs “In Gear“ publication. The photo was taken in 1916 showing two of the original owners of the Rockville Garage — Lewis Reed and Griffith Warfield. The full photograph is shown again at the top of page 14 with all three of the original owners. The photo is also displayed at the top of Maryland Automobile Dealers Association’s home page.
- The website Gaithersburg: Then & Now authored by local historian Shaun Curtis placed a link to “Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915-2012″ blog under the Local Historic Sites & Information section of their website.
- Peerless Rockville has placed a link to “Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915-2012” blog under the Resources section of their website.
- Blog Catalog Review: “Interesting blog with wonderful historic photos and a well-written chronicle of a successful automotive franchise that began in Maryland in the early 20th-century and continues today. Even if you’ve never been to Rockville or Maryland, you can appreciate the photos and history, a snapshot of America.”
- The following is an excerpt taken from the Summer 2011 edition, page 6 of the Montgomery County Historical Society Newsletter. “The Sween Library was recently given a collection of 280 glass plate negatives, showing Montgomery County in the early 20th century. Lewis Reed was a well-known photographer in the county as well as owner (along with his brother Edgar) of Reed Brothers, the Rockville automobile dealership. The collection was donated to the Society by Mr. Reed’s daughter, Mary Jane Reed Gartner. There are scenes of different areas of the county, buildings, events such as the county fair, and local people. These are a welcomed addition to our growing graphics collection.”
And then there’s Twitter…
Reed Brothers received numerous re-tweets and mentions on Twitter, the most notable from the official Twitter feed of the Montgomery County Police Department on a photo of the first known picture of the entire MCPD at a Celebration on July 4, 1922 in front of Reed Brothers Dodge.
@mcpnews – We love this photo! Thank You for sharing!
@Tri-Auto – Big shoutout to @reedbrothers for posting so many cool historical things.
@BoundaryStones, WETA’s Local History Blog – Nice snippet of early auto history in #MoCo, . Like many dealerships, @reedbrothers grew out of existing garage.
@BoundaryStones, WETA’s Local History Blog – @reedbrothers Nice local history blog!
A heartfelt note to all those who have stopped in for a look and a read.
1918: Rockville Garage Displaying New Cars at Rockville Fair Grounds
An annual County Fair used to be held for four days in the month of August at the old Fairgrounds of Rockville, Maryland. Families came from every section of the Montgomery County in wagons and carriages, and stayed for the duration of the Fair. Harness racing was one of the main attractions, but the Fair also provided other events such as horse pulls, games of chance, showing of prized livestock and poultry, needlework, homegrown produce, baked and canned goods. A building called the Exhibit House displayed the prize-winning entries of the various categories.
The Fair also gave automobile dealers the opportunity to display their new models. Below is new car show time as fair-goers get their first glimpse at the latest models that Rockville Garage had to offer. Initially, Reed Brothers sold Oldsmobile and Hudson, along with Dodge.
1918 – Hudson Super Six, Oldsmobile, and Dodge Brothers Motor Cars on display. Lewis Reed in drivers seat.
1918 – Rockville Garage displaying their new models at the Rockville Fair Grounds
Anybody for a demonstration drive?
1918 – At Your Service Rockville Garage. Lewis Reed on the left
Source: History PDF
Blog Launch Press Release
Today, I announced the official launch of the “Reed Brothers Dodge History” blog with a formal press release (see text below).
Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV (1888PressRelease) April 23, 2012 – Former Reed Brothers Dodge, in Rockville, Maryland (MD) is delighted to announce the launch of their new WordPress blog. Business longevity is something to celebrate and share. The Reed Brothers Dodge History blog will act as a platform for readers to gain insight into the history and success their business has achieved.
On this blog, readers will find an historic timeline that showcases their company’s history, how Reed Brothers Dodge came into being, and how the company overcame the inevitable changes and challenges throughout almost a decade of being in business.
Reed Brothers Dodge History blog conveys an abundance of unique automotive related content as well as a family business history that parallels the evolution of the Dodge automobile.
By creating their business history, Reed Brothers hopes to establish a lasting and true legacy for people in their company, family and future generations, and the community at large who will all benefit from a deeper knowledge and understanding of their heritage.
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Copyright Notice
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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