What is that? June 6, 2026
If you know, let us know. Send your responses to [email protected] or phone 631-275-1859.
Ed Hydeman wrote to us giving the correct location of last week’s mystery photo (see below) — “This building is on 114 directly across from Jaspa Road” — and Cynthia Michalak and Lee Richstone knew that what looks like an old-time garage is an art studio. Towny Montant nailed it: “The photo is Gavin Zeigler’s home/studio on Route 114 … formerly ‘Johnny Rock’s autobody repair shop.”
Looking for a quiet place to work, Gavin, a renowned artist, found the building a few years ago that had seen better days and came with its share of Island history. It was built in 1917 as a Socony gas station and later became known, as Towny and many longtime Islanders know, as Johnny Rock’s. Gavin set out to restore, rather than gut the place, out of respect for its history. Its former life as a garage made it perfect for his studio, since his artistic process, like auto repair, involves spray painting and use of high-pressure tools.
Towny was with Gavin at the studio and sent along an old bill found there from Aug. 1, 1929 from what was once officially called the Universal Service Garage. For extensive work on one vehicle, including changing two tires, a head lamp and tail lamp, and installing a gasket, the cost was $4, or about $78 in 2026 dollars. Still, not a bad deal.
