The following text is from a sign on the garage, written by the Livermore Heritage Guild

When this Garage was built in 1915 the old Lincoln Highway ran along the north side.  This became Highway 50, the first trans-continental U.S. highway.  Highway 50 was later rerouted and this section was renamed Portola Ave.  The garage sold gas and Associated Oil Products and also performed repairs.

In 1923 the Pine Street half of the garage was added and the garage began selling Durant, Flint, and Star Automobiles.  Robert Livermore Jr. was one of the salesmen in the early 1920s.

In the early 1940s the garage was converted into a machine shop for rebuilding machinery, particularly farming and winery equipment.

In the early 1970s the city purchased the garage and surrounding land for use as a park.  The Livermore Heritage Guild (LHG) signed a lease in 1976 to restore and maintain the garage for use as a museum.  The Guild has arranged for painting, paving, landscaping, and the installation of a heater, new wiring, a new roof, and a new floor in the south end of the garage.

The garage is now open on the third Wednesday of each month for the History Colloquium, and on other occasions.

The Livermore Heritage Guild has several books available on the Lincoln Highway.  See Publication List.

 
View from the air of the highway garage, which is in the center of the photo.  Portola Ave (formerly the Lincoln Highway) curves from the bottom to the left of the photo.  L Street goes toward the upper right.  This picture is looking roughly south east.  On the left side is the current Joesville building (brown roof - built in 1977), when the house behind it was still standing.

The Highway Garage from the Lincoln Highway (now Portola Ave.)  This photo was probably taken around the 1920s.

The garage in 2008.  The front has been restored so look much the way it did in the 1920s.

Highway Garage interior, looking toward the south (Pine St. door at the back).

This photo was probably taken around the 1970s.  Note the pickup truck on the right.

Frank Duarte, looking through Garage window, at what is now Portola Ave.

 

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The Book Early Livermore contains 128 pages of Livermore Historical photos and commentary. It is available for 19.99 plus tax at the Livermore Heritage Guild History Center at the Carnegie Building. Click here for more information