Wondering why we have an upside-down car in our logo?

Built in 1912, our building was originally home to the Turner Motor Company, a historic automobile dealership. On July 11, 1930, two employees fired up the engines of two Model T Fords and ran across the street for a quick errand while the cars warmed up. The Model T’s, loaded with moonshine, caught fire due to a leaking fuel pump. The heat and weight of the vehicles burned through the garage floor, landing the cars upside-down in the basement. The flooring and walls were rebuilt, leaving the vehicles untouched in the basement for 85 years. They were discovered during basement renovations under Amy Pendleton’s ownership.

Since then, the building has been home to Rakes Pontiac dealership, then the Helms Farmers Exchange, and more recently the Pendleton Nonprofit Center housed the Perinatal Education Center, the Franklin County United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Rocky Mount's Community Partnership, and the SML Regional Chamber of Commerce. Finally, Olde Towne Social House moved in the spring of 2023. Soon, we will have the 2 overturned Model-T cars on display for the public.

Information sourced from the Franklin News Post, “Remnants of 1930 fire unearthed in basement” Morris Stephenson, Special to the News-Post.