Whittle Garage Building

Whittle Garage Building

Photo by Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17283943

Quick Facts

Location:

101 Oak St. Ashland, OR

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

The Whittle Garage Building has been used by a variety of businesses throughout its history. Completed in 1925 by Floyd Whittle, it is the best surviving example in Ashland's downtown of the simple, utilitarian falsefront commercial building type that dominated much of the southern Oregon's downtown landscape since the middle of the 19th century. It is also the only remaining example of the auto repair/machine shops and filling stations constructed in downtown Ashland during the first third of the 20th century, and one of the few early 20th-century industrial buildings remaining downtown. The Whittle Garage is a rather late example of a falsefront building, a vernacular type which arose in the 19th century (along with the advent of economical frame construction) that consisted of an extended façade concealing the smaller frame and creating the impression of a larger business. Falsefronts easily adapted to the fire-resistant masonry construction needed for garages and new service industries introduced with the automobile. Historic photographs indicate that the original facade featured unpainted concrete with multipaned storefront windows.

Known as the Pioneer Glass and Cabinet Shop from late 1953 until 1996, the building's poured concrete facade, simple storefront detail, and stepped parapet are remarkably faithful to their original design. The Pioneer Glass owners were originally hired to repair extensive damage to the building caused by a major fire; they then decided to move their business into the garage. Recently combining commitments to preservation and gastronomy, the Whittle Garage Building has been converted to a more public function. The current owners participated in the National Parks Service's Certified Rehabilitation program for which they received a historic preservation tax credit, and converted the garage into the Standing Stone Microbrewery and Restaurant. The building continues to retain its essential industrial character and open interior space while serving the economy of the city's thriving downtown.

The Whittle Garage Building (Standing Stone Microbrewery/Restaurant) is located at 101 Oak St. It is open to the public. 

Discover more Oregon history by visiting the Ashland, OR travel itinerary.