Cadillacs at 1138 Connecticut Avenue
Cook & Stoddard Company opened its Cadillac dealership at 1138 Connecticut Avenue NW in 1912. Before World War I, it was the leading Cadillac seller in Washington. The granite-fronted showroom and garage housed Cadillacs and other luxury cars of the day.
The Washington Post noted the new quarters in 1912:
“The quarters are complete and spacious, taking up the whole imposing granite front of the place, which has been specially planned and built for the garaging and exhibiting of automobiles.”
Crowds for the 1915 Model
The showroom drew both Washington’s elite and everyday enthusiasts. In 1914, when Cadillac unveiled its 1915 model, the Post reported:
“Large crowds at the salesroom of Cook & Stoddard Company viewed the new 1915 model of the Cadillac car yesterday…In appearance, appointments and equipment the new car won admiration.”
The Post described what was new:
“The new model seen yesterday was the eight-cylinder car, which has been improved in minor features of equipment, the chassis remaining precisely as it was last year.”
The cars appealed to politicians, businessmen, and everyday motorists.
The End of the Exclusive Dealership
Cook & Stoddard held its Cadillac franchise for more than 15 years. By the late 1920s, Cadillac was expanding nationwide and the exclusive DC arrangement ended. By the 1930s the brand had several certified outlets across the capital area, and the run at Connecticut Avenue was over.