Hampton Center Garage One Of First FORD Agencies In N.E.

Return to Hampton Business History Table of Contents

The Hampton Union & Rockingham County Gazette

Thursday, June 18, 1959


F. E. Brooks Ford Service
Local men pose with a new car purchased at the Brooks Ford Garage in Hampton Center. From left to right are Phil Howe, Victor Bogrett, Alex Brown, Leavitt Magrath, and John Brooks, owner of the garage which opened in 1915 or 1916 on the north side of Depot Square. Also known as Hampton Center Garage, it was at the time the only garage on the road between Portsmouth and Newburyport, and was one of the first Ford dealerships in the northeast. [A courtesy photo]

HAMPTON -- Hampton Center Garage, Inc., was formed in 1915 by Mr. Frank E. Brooks, who has owned and operated the business continuously to the present day.

At the time of its founding, this little garage in Depot Square was the only garage between Portsmouth and Newburyport.

In addition to the repair work of the garage, Mr. Brooks also operated a taxi service and in 1917 he received a contract as Ford Agency and has been a Direct Ford Agency until the present time.

An addition was built onto the original garage in 1922 and to be of even more service to their customers last year a new and used car lot was built at Whittier's Corner.

Mr. Phillip M. Toppan, a life-long resident of Hampton, is the general manager of the garage.

Other personnel include Robert Tacetta, stock man; and Mr. Foster Pierce of Hampton Beach, who has been working in a large dealership in Boston for the last 13 years has recently accepted the position of service manager.

In the shop are Mr. Leo Fowler of Seabrook; Mr. John Douglas of North Hampton, who returned after a "hitch" in the service and Mr. Clinton Magoon of Hampton, lubrication man. Mr. John Kuntz is the new and used car check-up man.

The sales department is manned by Mr. Daniel Everett Palmer of Kensington, and Mr. Toppan.