Historic buildings along Route 66 in Monrovia add to the city's charm

MONROVIA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two historic buildings in Monrovia are adding to the charm on Shamrock Avenue. And the timing is perfect, with a nod to Route 66 on its 100th anniversary.

Proprietor Mike Hodis showed us the newly restored pumps at Monrovia's vintage Flying-A gas station on the corner of Shamrock and Walnut, right along Route 66. It's a project he's been working on since he purchased the old building about six years ago.

"We're bringing it back to its closest original state from back in the 20s, from the color of the stock code to the color of the windows, you name it," said Hodis.

This fall, a new clothing retail shop will open inside the historic building - which first opened a year after Route 66.

A couple blocks north is another renovated building, Fred's Monrovia, now an event space. It was once known as a corner market - also built in the 1920s.

"W e wanted like a mock diner type feel, you know, classic car feel. And there's really nothing like that around," said Traci French, who purchased the building with her husband Gary French and turned it into a memorial for her father Fred Bowden, who loved classic cars.

"It's an honor to pay tribute to him and everything that he did here, actually, for the community in Monrovia," she said.

They hope it keeps his memory alive, while allowing people to create their own memories.

"High school reunions, we've had one-year-old birthday parties, we've had memorials, we have had wedding rehearsal dinners here. So it's all kinds different things," said Gary French.

To book an event at Fred's go to fredsmonrovia.com.

As for Monrovia's Route 66 Centennial Celebration - it is Sunday May 3rd.