With a few blows from an excavator, buildings that were once the hub of a Weymouth car dealership were reduced to rubble over a three-day span last week.
The three buildings, once owned by Weymouth Motors, were demolished by their new owner, the Weymouth Waterfront Development Committee, to make room for a $1.4 million light manufacturing facility.
The new facility is the second phase of the development committee’s projects and when finished will provide 4,000 square feet of industrial space to be leased to new and expanding businesses.
The Weymouth Motors buildings were once owned by local businessman Ken Hankinson who operated a car dealership for nearly 65 years.
After the Second World War, Hankinson purchased Seffroi Theriault’s blacksmith shop and opened his business selling GMC cars in 1945 and later added snowmobiles.
Over the years his business expanded to include the old Weymouth fire department building and Dr. Pothier’s theatre which had been built after the 1929 fire.
The old theatre was remodelled to become Weymouth Motors showroom. The well-known business suffered a great deal of damage in the 1976 Groundhog Day storm.
The three days of demolition, March 16-18, drew many curious onlookers, with some expressing hope that the planned light manufacturing facility will bring needed employment.
