Brief History Lesson of Parking
A recent Ithaca customer asked about the first-ever parking garage and it got us thinking. Allpro Parking, now 11 years old, is just a baby in the grand picture of parking. Here are some fun parking facts for your reading pleasure:
The National Building Museum’s “House of Cars” Exhibit states the first garage was built in 1907 in Washington, DC. The Dupont Garage, on the north side of the 2000 block of M Street NW in Washington, D.C., served area residents and was known as the “neighborhood garage.” Its detailed stone and brick façade blended well with the cityscape. (1)
According to NPR.org, there were 23 million cars on American roads by 1929, which began the quest for parking solutions. To date, there are an estimated 735 million cars. (2)
In some cities, garages specified floors as “women-only” stemmed from the perception that woman wouldn’t feel safe unless in an underground garage (ex. for example The St. Paul Garage in Baltimore in 1930). (3)
Allpro Fun Fact: Allpro Parking’s first garage facility was in August 2000 at Lot #004 Key Center located at 50 Fountain Plaza Buffalo NY 14202.
“Cars. We imagine them always in motion, but they spend most of their time at rest.” – Sarah A. Leavitt, Ph.D.
(1) http://www.nationalbuildingmuseum.net/pdf/press/House%20of%20Cars_Press%20Kit.pdf
(2) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120545290
(3) http://www.nbm.org/about-us/national-building-museum-online/inside-the-lines.html
