History of the Building
President Reagan in the Pioneer Day Parade, Pioneer Auto Parts in the Background
Proprietor of the Hudson Packard dealership, Paul Reinke, with 1935 Hudson Sixes and Eights, the last two of which are convertibles.
Exterior of Pioneer Auto Parts Building
Interior Prior to Renovation
The story of 1130 Pine Street is a story of Paso Robles and its automotive past. The façade of the existing building dates from the early 1930s, a time when Paso Robles served as the midway stopover for motorists traveling between Los Angeles to San Francisco. To meet the demands of these visitors and their cars, local entrepreneurs began to open auto related businesses downtown and before long the automotive industry had taken Paso Robles by storm. With its prime location and large size, 1130 Pine Street caught the eye of the Paul & Grace Reinke. They soon remodeled the building to include curbs and garage doors and opened the Reinke Hudson Packard Dealership. In 1938, after leasing from owner W. B. Bayless for several years, the Reinkes bought the building. Their dealership continued to be a cornerstone of Paso Robles commerce for the next 22 years.
In 1960, the building changed hands and became Pioneer Auto Parts, a partnership of Harold L “Mike” Wing and Norman W. Ellis. Their Auto Parts business had been located around the corner at 10th Street & Spring Street. Following the move to 1130 Pine Street, a shop was added as were several employees including Hap Lewis and Ray Robbins. During their 14 years of ownership, Pioneer Auto Parts became the source for all of Paso Roblans automotive needs, from wiper blades to wheel wells. Mike and Norm made sure that donuts, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were always on hand for their customers six days a week.
In 1974, Harold Wing sold to Steve Encell, the current owner of 1130 Pine Street. Under his management, Pioneer Auto Parts served as not only a parts store, but also a community social center for Roblans who would share news over a cup of coffee every morning. He also introduced a repair shop in the rear of the building and in 1990 became a CARQUEST Auto Parts franchise.
During the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake, 1130 Pine Street, along with many other buildings in the historic downtown area, was severely damaged. Mr. Encell was forced to close the auto parts business and began the extensive task of repairing the building. Over the next four years he considered various tenants but it was the philanthropic nature of the Studios on the Park project that sparked his interest and in December 2007 a lease was signed.
Since that time, Studios on the Park has worked closely with the City’s Community Development Department, Chamblin-Landes Construction Inc. and Larry Gabriel, architect to find a design for 1130 Pine Street that best meets the needs of Studios on the Park.
A temporary renovation of the existing 9,375 square foot building was completed in March 2009, permitting Studios on the Park to open its doors to the public without a large Capital Campaign.
