Pioneer Times photo
NEW SHOP — Benn’s Auto Sales was burned to the ground last Dec. 28, but with small town generosity, business was interrupted very little. John Benn’s father, Cedric, opened the family business in 1947. The Benn’s lost everything to the fire. With the help of family and friends, Benn’s Auto Sales has rebuilt a new shop at the same location on Bangor Road.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
HODGDON — The images are still vivid and raw for Brittany Benn, of the fire that swept through Benn’s Auto Sales last Dec. 28, but for husband, John, it is not a time to look back. It is about moving forward as the New Year unfolds.
“She is more emotional than me,” said John of his wife as tears well in her eyes.
John’s father Cedric opened the family business in 1947.
“A lot of stuff you cannot replace,” he said. “But, you have to move on.”
As the charred remains lay exposed, within two days, nine different men offered Benn a location to continue his work until he could rebuild. John also heard a few days after the fire that T&S Market had sent pizzas out to feed the firefighters on location.
“Nothing like small town is there,” John said. “You can’t beat it.”
The garage burned to the ground on a Friday and reopened for business on Monday just up the road, at the old Toner garage of Tim and Marie Toner’s. Friends got the word out on Facebook that it was business almost as usual.
“We moved back to Houlton,” said John with a laugh, as the original Benn’s Auto Sales was located on the Calais Road in the Shiretown. It burned and Cedric moved down the road to Hodgdon. “We are just over the line. We snuck back to Houlton for six months and we moved back to Hodgdon again by the 4th of July.”
With the use of Toner’s garage, Benn’s Auto continued business with little interruption.
“It was a blessing what they did for us,” said John.
The Benns never doubted they would have their shop back up and running again.
“I had enough friends, family and encouragement from other people that I knew it would happen,” said John.
The new shell for Benn’s Auto Sales is smaller than the barn was square footage-wise, but John said it would be more practical.
“The barn was like any old barn, you didn’t use the upper floors for anything more than storage and keepsakes because it was too hard to get up there,” he explained. “This is going to be a warmer shop that has more usable space.”
Brittany said as far as layout, he kept it very similar.
“You come in the same side of the building. His office is still on the same side,” said Brittany. “But, he has two bays in the front and another on the back, which has the bigger doors to fit equipment. Now, he can put the loaders inside to work on them instead of laying outside in the mud and ice.”
Benn’s Auto Sales offers used auto parts, a radiator shop, they
repair customer’s vehicles and they have a wrecker service. Benn’s Auto Sales is open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Benns are very thankful for the mutual aid the fire departments – Houlton, Hodgdon and Linneus — provided that cold December morning.
“They all worked together,” said John.
The Benns experienced helping hands throughout the rebuilding process from the insurance company to the state of Maine.
“We had no problems,” said Brittany. “We never had to fight for anything.”
In the middle of the fire, Brittany said Bob Anderson, president of F.A. Peabody Company, arrived in dress shoes, tromping through the water and slush, assuring the Benns everything would work out.
“I was the first one home and there were three messages on our machine,” said Brittany. “One was Chris Anderson to let us know calls had already been made to assist with the insurance; the other was from the insurance company representative and the third, the detective from the secretary of state dealers’ section.”
The insurance adjuster arrived at Benn’s Auto Sales the next morning and walked the Benns through the process.
“We lost everything. We lost all of our titles. I thought that was going to be a nightmare, but Stephanie from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has been …, as John holds his thumb up. “She has gone above and beyond to help us. We are still dealing with her, as we are still doing titles. There were hundreds of them. I have to have a title for every vehicle out here.”
Benn’s Auto Sales has risen out of the ashes.
“Friends came in and helped us pour the cement and put the rafters up,” said John.
Brittany added, “Terry Wallace has been the main carpenter and John has done a tremendous amount of the work all by himself.”
Shying away from the spotlight, John noted that Wallace had built the shell by himself.
“We have been very fortunate,” said John. “I am too young to stop and I don’t want to stop anyway.”
To reach Benn’s Auto Sales, call 532-3540.
