A car crashed into an iconic Natick diner. The damage unveiled a piece of the its past

NATICK — A hit-and-run crash last November at the iconic Casey's Diner unearthed a piece of history.

Part of the diner's original exterior was discovered underneath its current tin covering — something that's a rarity when it comes to the Worcester Lunch Car Co. dining carts, said Pat Casey, owner of the South Avenue eatery that's been in operation since 1890.

"I thought my grandfather replaced the exterior when he bought the car in 1925, but it looks like he just covered it up," Casey said.

And that, diner expert and historian Richard Gutman said, could be one of the last surviving original panels from a Worcester Lunch Car Co. diner.

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"The discovery of what's most likely part of the original decorative facade of Casey's Diner is a completely delightful and unexpected surprise," Gutman said. "The hand-painted signage, 'Quick Lunch,' was probably hidden for nearly a century, and to my knowledge, no photographs of the lunch car showing the exterior from the 1920s are known to exist."

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Gutman added that diners from that era typically sported fancy lettering, pin-striping and decorative motifs.

"But frequently they were painted over when they faded over the years," he said. "In the case of Casey's, when the diner arrived in Natick (in 1927) from its original location in Framingham, it was upgraded with a new metal skin, applied directly over the earlier one."

In November, a delivery driver plowed into the awning for the takeout window at Casey's, then drove away (an arrest was later made). The awning, a portion of the side of the building and an etched glass window were damaged, Casey said.

Casey said it was difficult to find someone who would undertake the repairs, so he posted a request on Facebook.

Duane Houghton, owner of Early American Restoration in Framingham, stepped up. His company specializes in the restoration and preservation of historical and traditional buildings.

"He began the repair in February and when he opened up the wall, he found the original panels were still there," Casey said. "It was a little dilapidated, but it's still in decent shape and you could read, 'Quick Lunch,' on it."

Worcester Lunch Car Co. was founded in 1906 by Philip H. Duprey and Thomas H. Buckley in Worcester. The Casey's Diner car was built in 1922.

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Originally, Pat Casey's great-grandfather, Fred, opened Casey's as a four-stool, horse-drawn carriage in 1890. Casey's grandfather purchased the current lunch car in 1925. It moved to its current location in 1977 and Pat Casey has been running it since 1983.

"I was just kind of drawn back to it," Casey said.

Framingham restoration expert plans to replicate original paneling

As for the work, the panel that was found is made of asbestos, so Houghton has it stored safely in his Framingham workshop.

"We're going to box it up, seal it away and then replicate it so he has one to display until we can find what we can do with the original panel," Houghtin said. "There isn't anything written about historic pieces of art done on hazardous materials."

Houghton said the panel was in remarkable shape for something that's more than 100 years old.

"It was covered up not soon after it was built," he said. "There was only one level of siding over it. According to Gutman, there is no other (diners) that have the original layer of paint," "

Gutman said he knows of only one other diner from that era with the original paint.

"Franks' Diner in Kenosha, Wisconsin, built by Jerry O'Mahony Inc., of Elizabeth, New Jersey, a rival manufacturer of the Worcester Lunch Car Co., which constructed Casey's" Gutman said. "Arthur Franks built an addition onto the front of his 1926 diner within a few years of its opening, and the elaborately painted signage has been protected from the weather ever since, though it's not visible from the street."

Historian says 'Quick Lunch' is appropriate signage for Casey's Diner

Along with making a replica panel so Casey can display it inside the diner, Houghton is making a new glass window with historical etching on it. The original window was damaged in the November crash.

Gutman said the original sign advertising a "Quick Lunch" fits Caseys perfectly.

"The fact that it reads 'Quick Lunch' is perfectly appropriate today, as everyone knows the service at Casey's is speedy, and there is usually a customer standing behind your stool, waiting to hop on as soon as you've gobbled down your hot dog, hamburger or chopped ham-and-pickle sandwich," Gutman said.

As for the original panel, Casey hopes it can be made safe.

"Maybe we'll display it in the diner," he said. "Or maybe we'll donate it to a museum. There aren't many left around."

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Casey's Diner in Natick's original signage found after car accident