Turner-Todd Motor Company Building

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Standing on historic “Automobile Alley,” the Turner-Todd Motor Company building was constructed in 1926 for use as a car dealership. The building would serve as a dealership for Buicks until the company closed its doors in 1943. After Turner-Todd’s shutdown, the building would become host to several auto parts stores until 2002. The building was then left vacant for 13 years until 2015 and it was renovated to become office space.

Images

Turner Todd Motor Company post Renovation in 2015

Turner-Todd Motor Company Building as it appeared in 2008

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Originally constructed in 1926 the Turner-Todd Motor Company building was initially built for the sale of Buicks. At the time there was a growing market of automotive dealerships in the US and particularly on St. Louis Street. As St. Louis Street became populated with dealerships the street gained the nickname of Automobile alley to Mobile residents. As the years progressed, during its time as a Buick dealership the Turner-Todd building became known as the Buick Building.

In 1932 the Turner-Todd company changed its name to the Turner Motor Company. Eventually closing its doors in 1943. The building itself would continue to see use from 1944 to 2002, serving as host to several auto parts stores. Eventually, in 2008 the building would be added to the National Register of Historic Places and remain unoccupied until 2015.

The building would remain vacant until in 2015 the commercial construction firm Roger & Willard Inc. purchased the building and began to renovate the building. Today the building is host to Rural Sourcing Inc. an Atlanta-based software development company.

Sources

Dugan, Kelli. First look: $5M renovation of Mobile's Buick Building taking shape, roughly 20,000 square feet remains unleased, AL.com. March 20th 2015. Accessed October 14th 2020. https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2015/03/first_look_5m_renovation_of_mo.html.

The Buick Building, Rogers & Willard Inc. Accessed October 14th 2020. https://www.rogerswillard.com/news/the-buick-building.

Wilson, Shaun. Turner-Todd Motor Company, National Register of Historic Places. May 29th 2008. Accessed October 14th 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=2589d71f-cf19-4e47-8ab2-8936d1cd92eb.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Image sourced from Wikimedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turner_Todd_Motor_Company_(2015)_-_NW_Corner.JPG

Image source from the National Register of Historic Places: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/2589d71f-cf19-4e47-8ab2-8936d1cd92eb/