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SINCE 1922 the Penninsula's Leading Automotive Supply House Founded in 1922, Hop's Place is a family owned and operated full-service automotive parts, paint, repair and glass facility that is known for the quality of the materials and service provided and the personal attention given. The strength of this business has always been IT'S PEOPLE. There is a saying within the community that "Hop's Place doesn't hire just anybody". Another strength of the business, that has been helpful to many businesses and individuals, is the in-store credit program. The History of Hop’s Place In 1922, Grover C. Hopkins, a former Fleischmann’s Yeast route salesman, and George S. Tyree, his brother-in-law, began Hop’s Place in a corner of the Brittingham Furniture Company on Queen Street in Downtown Hampton, Virginia, diagonally across from St. John’s Church. Hop’s Place, during the early years, sold automotive parts, tires, and accessories. In 1925, a devastating fire destroyed the four-story Brittingham Furniture Company building. Fortunately Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Tyree had “recently completed a large and imposing filling station and supply store in 17 and 19 Armistead Avenue where he started business this morning”, the Newport News Times-Hearld reported on January 12, 1925. Hop’s Place, although a Gulf gasoline distributor for a short time, was primarily an Amoco (American Oil Company) gasoline distributor and the Hornsby Oil Company, as their supplier, helped Hop’s Place, in many ways, to remain open over the years. In addition to automotive parts, tires, accessories and gasoline, Hop’s Place began to branch out into other products and services such as tire retreading, Exide automobile batteries, complete lubrication, automobile washing and Simonizing, general auto repair and vulcanizing. Hop’s Place had another location, for a short time, on Bridge Street in Hampton, in the general vicinity of the Virginia Air and Space Center, today. The purpose was to attract the business that was missed on Armistead Avenue. However, the primary location from 1925 until May of 1969 was 17-23 Armistead Avenue. The original building, started before the fire, became the service station in the central courtyard of a U-shaped building, which enlarged the property and changed the address from 17-19 Armistead, in 1925, to 17-23 Armistead in 1969. The location is now occupied by Miller Mart on the corner of Settler’s Landing and Armistead. Hop’s Place also acquired Johnson’s Hardware, across the street. For many years, until Hop’s Place moved again, that building, now occupied by the Yellow Cab Company, served as the repair, machine and glass shop. In the 1940’s Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Tyree passed away and their sons, Charles S. Hopkins and George S. Tyree, were brought into the business. The business provided employment for everyone in both families, over the years. When Mr. Tyree’s son left the business, the business came under the ownership of the children of Grover C. Hopkins and remains in the family today. In 1969, due to the redevelopment of Downtown Hampton, Hop’s Place moved to its current location at 320 West Pembroke Avenue. The oldest portion of the building was a Rambler automobile dealership and Hop’s Place added on to the original building and built a 7 bay garage. The last major construction was building 7 more bays on to the shop forward of the original 7 bays. Hop’s Place probably began selling the Ditzler brand of automotive paint after World War II. The Ditzler name eventually changed to PPG and now Hop’s Place is a Platinum distributor for their product. Factory colors can be matched back to the 1920’s. Charles S. Hopkins, who passed away in 2006, used to say that if Hop’s Place has had any success at all it is because of it’s people and it’s loyal customers. Since 1922, Hop’s Place has remained a family owned and operated full-service automotive parts and paint supply store; an automotive glass repair and replacement facility; and an auto machine shop and auto repair shop all rolled into one corporation. Hop’s Place has maintained it’s reputation for quality of merchandise and excellence of personal service for 85 years due to the company’s experienced associates, who make this business their lives.
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