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Have you ever opened the hood of your car and wondered what might be going on inside? The engine of an automobile can resemble a giant knot of metal, rubber, and who knows what else to some people. Maybe that’s why over the years we have seen several garages come and gone in Little Washington. Luckily, there is one exception, if you know where to look.
Been here most of my life, and I never knew that Washington Motor Works existed. A small town indeed!
We are very excited to be focusing our business interests on our town, and to have Washington Motor Works located at 353 Calvert Street.
Looking back
through time
In 1932 Charles Jenkins started working as a mechanic in Merrell Motor, located at what is now the Inn of Little Washington.
The second floor of the garage was used for dances by the locals. Later Mr. Jenkins’ boss, Mr. Merrill, opened a new Ford Dealership across the street at the current location of the Washington Post office.
Mr. Jenkins had a great deal of experience training new mechanics. In 1945, he trained veterans returning to work from WWII.
In 1968, he opened Washington Motor Works at 353 Calvert Street, Washington.
Mr. Jenkins’ grandson, Jeff Butler, loved to spend every weekend in his grandfather’s garage, little knowing that one day he would be working there.
A dream come true
This was the beginning of Jeff Butler’s professional career as a mechanic, and a dream come true for him.
Jeff graduated from McLean High School and went on to attend Northern Virginia Community College, where he received an Associate Bachelor’s Degree in Automotive Machine Shop Technology. He later graduated from the Diesel Institute of American to become a certified Diesel Mechanic.
Jeff was also granted employment by C&P Telephone Company as an Auto Equipment Mechanic.
Mr. Butler continued to better himself, eventually entering a career as a heavy mobile equipment mechanic for the department of Defense at the Washington Navy Yard.
In 1988, Mr. Butler joined Washington Motor Works to carry on the family business. He still repairs tractors and lawn equipment, however major and minor car and truck repair both foreign and domestic is the main stay of his business. When Jeff started as a mechanic, foreign cars were a rarity on US highways dominated by cars made in Detroit. These days, foreign makes like Mercedes, Volkswagen, Datsun’s Audi, Jaguar, Volvo and BMW, are Jeff’s more frequent customers.
It has taken a lot of school
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