I saw this postcard of
The Gull Motel on Ebay recently, and knew it would make a good candidate for a "Then and Now" shot. Anyone who has driven to Cedar Point along U. S. Route 6 through Huron probably remembers the motel as being located at the west end of the bridge over the Huron River.
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| 1970 Vermilion-Huron Directory ad |
I've long admired the classic style of the motel's sign and its great typography. It symbolized a laid-back, beach vacation attitude.
Alas, in recent years the vintage sign has been replaced by a much shorter and plainer sign. Here is a current view (
below) of the motel from a week ago.
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| A current view of the motel from July 3013 |
Dale Wells, the current owner and manager of the Gull Motel since 2004, explained to me that at some point Huron had passed an ordinance limiting the height of commercial signs, and that the original sign was probably a casualty of it. He said the original sign is still down in the motel's basement. He pointed out that most of the other tall signs visible in the vintage postcard were long gone as well.
A few changes in the local scenery can be seen if you compare the postcards. The brick building housing
Artino Ford next door to the west has been painted white.
The 25-unit Gull Motel, which opened on May 23, 1962, has undergone a few changes since then as well, with the upstairs addition being the most noticeable.
The motel has some good online
reviews, and looks like a great economical choice if you're looking for a mom and pop place to stay at while visiting Cedar Point and the Vacationland area. Plus, you have the
Pied Piper Drive-In right across the street, and
Berardi's just over the bridge to the east. What more could you ask for?
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UPDATE (July 31, 2015)
Here's another vintage postcard of the Gull Motel.
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Here's another undated vintage postcard of the
now-demolished Gull Motel.
