Recreating the past

A.D. Farrow owners support vital piece to museum exhibit

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is all about telling the stories of motorcycling. In recent months, the museum has undergone some major improvements to better tell those stories and a replica storefront of a 1913 Harley-Davidson dealership is a highlight of this commitment.

Thanks to a generous donation from Columbus, Ohio's A.D. Farrow Harley-Davidson, the museum's new AMCA R.B. McClean Gallery is home to a replica of the original A.D. Farrow dealership. The replica store front serves as the centerpiece to the museum's new "Selling Motorcycles in America" exhibit showcasing historical products dealers used to boost sales, ranging from Indian key fobs to racing posters.

The A.D. Farrow dealership still exists today in Columbus, Ohio, and is recognized as the country's longest continuously running Harley-Davidson dealership. But the owners, Al and Pat Doerman  (on left, with Museum Resource Development Director Dan Smith) haven't forgotten the significance of the past. Their generous donation has made this entire project possible.
 

Building the storefront:

The original A.D. Farrow storefront in Nelsonville, Ohio	Of course, that power box isn't part of the exhibit!	The replica is about 92% of scale.	This is how the whole thing came to the museum.
The wood framework that will support the more intricate details of the original store.	The whole structure is 11-feet high and 20-feet wide.	A side view of the front.	Under the storefront's framework are wheels to make the whole display portable.
The foundation goes into place.	On the floor is the brick pillars that make the edge of the storefront.	Securing the pieces. Those are real bricks on the front.	The framework, awaiting windows and other details.
Plexiglas is used for the window, and a ramp to move bikes in and out of the building.	Here's the final product.	The detail is amazing.