Marathon Motor Works

The historic Marathon Motor Works building was constructed in 1881 to house the Nashville Cotton Mill. The cotton industry thrived in Nashville until 1910, when the mill was closed. The building would not sit empty for long. The Southern Engine and Boiler Works company, which was based out of Jackson, Tennessee, had begun to thrive. Their greatest success had been manufacturing automobiles. By the turn of the century their success caught the attention of Nashville businessman Augustus H. Robinson. Robinson, along with a team of investors purchased the vacated Nashville Cotton Mill building, and also the automobile division of Southern Engine and Boiler Works. The investing group retained the automobile designer William Collier. In order to differentiate between another automobile company named "Southern," Collier renamed his automobiles "Marathon." He chose that name to honor the Olympic games. By 1911 five car models were offered under the Marathon name. By 1912 there were Marathon dealers in every major United States city. In that same year, approximately 200 cars per month and 10,000 cars per year were being produced. Collier successfully completed the Glidden Car Tour in 1911, by successfully driving one of his Marathon automobiles from New York City to Jacksonville, Florida. By 1914, bad financial decisions were being made, and the company was forced to sell. A small workforce continued to work in Nashville producing parts for the next four years. In 1922, Werthan Bag Company purchased the building and occupied it until 1984. During that time other parts of the building were used by Washington Hosiery. In 1986 the building was purchased by Barry Walker. Walker set plans in motion for the building to become a multi use facility called Marathon Village. He created art and music studios as well as restaurants, shops, and a museum. Today the most notable tenant of Marathon Village is Antique Archaeology of American Pickers fame. The Marathon Motor Works building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The Marathon Motor Works building is another great example of historic preservation at its finest. At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own an historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, and nominations to the Century Farms program. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.

An early advertisement for a Marathon Motor Company dealership in Indianapolis.

Be sure to come back next week for another Throwback Thursday presented by Moore Historical Consulting. From heritage management to historic litigation and everything in between Moore Historical Consulting has you covered.