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Postcard
circa late 1950s: Kummerlowe |
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New
Castle, DE
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2162
New Castle Ave. |
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Opened
in 1958, the New Castle complex was billed as the
28th Flavor in Motor Lodges since it was officially
the 28th Motor Lodge!
An
established Howard Johnson's Restaurant operator, Harry B.
Bissell, Jr. owned the New Castle Motor Lodge and Restaurant. |
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Stationary
header circa 1950s: Kummerlowe |
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The
Howard Johnson Scoop: December 1957 page 13 |
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ABOVE:
Mr. C. K. Dwinell, second from left, watching as Mr. Harry B.
Bissell, Jr., turns the first shovel of earth for the new unit. |
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The
Howard Johnson Scoop: December 1957 page 13 |
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ABOVE
Left to Right: Mr. Harry B. Bissell, Jr., Franchise
Operator of the new Motor Lodge: Mr. C. K. Dwinell, General Manager
Howard Johnson's Motor Lodges, Inc.: Mr. William S. Price, Division
Engineer, U.S. Bureau of Public Roads: Honorable Harry G. Haskell,
Jr., Represtentative-at-large, State of Delaware. |
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Postcard
circa 1950s: Kummerlowe |
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The
majestic Delaware
Memorial Bridge
was opened to traffic on August 15, 1951, but with vehicle counts
greatly exceeding projections, a twin span was built and then
dedicated in 1968. The bridge offered travelers a much more convenient
crossing of the Delaware River then had been in place by ferry
and facilitated economic growth on both sides of the river.
The
New Castle Motor Lodge and Restaurant complex was situated immediately
along the approach to the bridge and motorists headed north to
the New Jersey Turnpike would not have missed the welcoming Orange
Roofed palace of modern hospitality. Travelers headed south, were
treated to billboards and additional signage alerting them to
HoJo's upcoming and not to be missed exit.
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Directory
of Services circa 1960s: Kummerlowe |
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Photograph
June 1964: Kummerlowe |
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Postcard
circa 1963: Kummerlowe |
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Photographs
June 1964: Kummerlowe |
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Photographs
circa early 2000s: Bob Venditti |
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Photograph
2003: Phil Edwards |
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New
Castle's Restaurant was converted into a Big Boy during the latter
1980s following Marriott's purchase of Howard Johnson's, and then
in the late 1990s the Motor Lodge was re-purposed as an outlet
of Mike's
Famous Harley-Davidson. Initially the Gate Lodge and Restaurant
buildings were integrated into the dealership, but the guest building
were unused and eventually all demolished. Mike's Famous business
model lagged, and the New Castle outlet was acquired by Dave Rommel.
He reflagged the dealership under his own banner, Rommel Harley-Davidson.
After several years, Rommel left the former HoJo's complex, and
by the fall of 2018 the prime highway facing site became ripe
for redevelopment.
ABOVE,
HIGHER, & LOWER: The Restaurant was a rare "open-ended"
design and had been shrouded in Harley graphics during the time
that the site was Mike's Famous.
BELOW:
Note the recycled "rounded edge" Motor Lodge sign and
Bob's Big Boy sign cans dating from about 1987. |
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Photo
circa early 2000s: Bob Venditti |
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Photograph
2003: Phil Edwards |
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Photograph
June 1964: Kummerlowe |
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One
of the first A-frame Gate Lodges, New Castle's was a "squat"
design.
A
new feature of the Motor Lodges is the Gate Lodge pictured here.
This building has a modern pitched roof covered with the famous
orange tile that has made Howard Johnson restaurants Landmarks
to the American public for thirty years. the Gate Lodge houses
the registration desk, office, and lobby of the Motor Lodge. |
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Photographs
2003: Phil Edwards |
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Photograph
circa early 2000s: Bob Venditti |
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Photographs
2003: Phil Edwards |
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The
Gate Lodge was "beaconized" during the 1970s. |
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As
recently as 2018, the site retained two original Howard Johnson's
structures, but Google street views from October 2019 show that
a Royal Farms convenience store was opened on the site and that
both the classic A-frame "squat" Gate Lodge and the
other original building which had served as restrooms had been
razed. |
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©
Google 3D view circa 2018 (screen capture July 2020) |
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