The History Of The Garage

THE HISTORY OF THE GARAGE The modern garage is a far cry from the converted carriage house in which the first cars were stored. Over the last century, garages have evolved from an external necessity to an integral part of our homes. The Modern Garage: GARAGE COMES FROM GARER" THERE ARE OVER 82 MILLION HOMES WITH A GARAGE IN THE U.S.. FRENCH FOR "TO SHELTER" THAT'S OVER 1 GARAGE FOR EVERY CAR BUILT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD LAST YEAR 17% of new single-family homes sold in the U.S. had a 3+ car garage 34% in the Midwest PERCENT OF HOUSES WITH A GARAGE: 68% 59% 62% 11% 11% 19% built <1960 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000-2004 2005-2009 71% FRONT DOOR REPLACED BY GARAGE How did the garage come to be such of homeowners use their garage as the main entry to their house an important part of the home? It started, of course, with the car. Converting the Old to Fit the New At first, cars were a luxury item that NOT MANY COULD AFFORD Sears Roebuck also sold a portable garage starting in 1908 CONVERTED CARRIAGE HOUSES once used for horses, carriages, and tack WERE COMMON FOR CAR STORAGE The 1920s: The Birth of the Home Garage Cars really took off after the passing of the Federal Road Act in 1916 and the Federal Highway Act in 1921 To keep their cars closer, people began to INCORPORATE GARAGES INTO HOME DESIGN EARLY GARAGES: Looked like carriage houses attached to the home, with a gabled roof and masonry LATER GARAGES: Integrated into the design of the home 1921: 1926: Overhead door developed by Johnson invented the automatic C.G. Johnson garage door opener "Real estate men testify that the pirst question asked by the prospective buyer is about the garage. The house without a garage is a slow seller." - "Confessions of an Automobilist," Atlantic Monthly, June 1925 The Home Garage in Post-War CAmerica 1941: The prosperity of late '40s and '50s Garages attached to houses, with lead to more (and bigger) cars entry into the house, begin to appear 1967. February issue of Homes and Gardens runs "From Carport to Family Room" THE GARAGE EXPANDED 1967: WITH THEM >1978: Automatic garage door openers finally become popular In a 1,000 sq. ft. house, the percent of space devoted to car storage was: 0% 15% 38% 45% in 1915 in 1930 in 1940 in 1960 - That's almost half the house! How Technology Has Changed Things In the early days, a barndoor carport was a chilly (but covered) place to feed the animals and hand-crank the car to start in the morning Later, the garage became a workspace for carpentry or auto repair, but other than storing the car, stockpiling nonperishables and household products was its key function With the advent of the electric guitar and modern rock and roll, THE GARAGE BAND FOUND ITS PLACE Today, we have luxuries like remote garage door openers and heated garages, and we can even start our cars with our smartphones. The garage is no longer just a place to store unused items and keep our animals - technology has made it an additional room in our homes, AND A PRETTY COZY ONE AT THAT! GOING BEYOND CARS: What Else Are Garages Used For? STORAGE EXPANSION "MAN CAVES 11 40% of American households have a version of a man cave As the cost of real estate rises, the garage has become valuable extended square More than half of homeowners use footage. Cars are often left outdoors in their garage for storage favor of a gym, playroom, or craft areas. PRACTICE ENTREPRENEURSHIP Companies That Started in Garages: Famous Bands that Started in Garages: Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, The Walt Nirvana, The Beatles, Metallica Disney Company, Mattel, Google OVER 1 IN 2 HOMEOWNERS WANT A GARAGE THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS ENVY With such a long history, the garage should be celebrated. IS YOURS WORTH BRAGGING ABOUT? Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/h150-09.pdf http://www.census.gov/const/www/highanncharac2009.html http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/housing_patterns/pdf/Housing%20by%20Year%20Built.pdf http://www.garagewownow.com/images/download/gwn_topl12_reasons.pdf http://www.thehistoryof.net/the-history-of-garage-doors.html http://voices.yahoo.com/when-all-american-garage-became-part-american-6321394.html http://www.partsgeek.com/mmparts/american_automotive_industry.html http://www.ehow.com/facts_5640013_history-garage-design.html http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-09-26/business/9909270170_1_garage-carriage-house-door http://www.partsgeek.com/mmparts/american_automotive_industry.html http://www.tracyyoung.info/articles/Garage.pdf FA IFA Insurance Company Real People, Real Savings 00