We sincerely thank you for choosing to stay with us in the Salem Motor Lofts and hope you enjoy your experience.
The building was originally built in 1924 as the New Central Motor Company, an automotive dealership featuring many brands that no longer exist. The Great Depression put the company out of business and left the building empty for several years. It was reopened as the Goodwin Williams Chevrolet dealership in 1935, which remained in operation until 1961, when the building was purchased by new owners and re-opened as the West Salem Body Shop. The West Salem Body Shop operated from 1961 until the late 90’s. The building sat empty and in a state of declining disrepair until 2017, when we purchased the property and began the historic rehabilitation process. We’re honored to reintroduce the building in its newest incarnation as downtown Salem’s boutique hotel.
To honor all of the automotive businesses who called this building home, and the great city in which it resides, we chose the name Salem Motor Lofts. There are 18 one bedroom apartments, 14 on the second floor and 4 on the first floor, with two restaurants and a beautiful courtyard on the main level. We’ve retained and emphasized as much of the historic fabric of the building as possible. You’ll notice the original pine floors, wood beams and paneling, historic car elevator and mechanical equipment fixed in place (the first floor platform for the main staircase is the elevator platform and the weights, motor, and cables are all in their original forms and locations), plus many other elements. In the corridors you can view historic photos from the days of the New Central Motor Company as well as the West Salem Body Shop, where you’ll recognize many of the architectural elements as well as the car elevator that took cars to the second floor for repairs and service. We’ve combined all of these existing features with modern finishes and amenities, for the look and feel you see today.
So, who are we? We are a small Roanoke based company who specializes in historic mixed-use redevelopment. In other words, we redevelop historic buildings into properties that have a mix of residential (apartments or hotel rooms) and commercial uses (restaurants, offices, gyms, music halls, etc.). We are a vertically integrated company; we develop, build, own, and manage all of our properties with the goal of maintaining exceptional quality at every level of our business. When we first discover these historic properties, they are often in great disrepair and are a blight on their surrounding neighborhoods. We take great pride in breathing new life into these buildings and adding value to communities in which they reside.
We sincerely hope you appreciate the beauty and quality of the Salem Motor Lofts and the great City of Salem, Va.
