Dining in? Silver Top up for auction

THE EXTERIOR of the Silver Top Diner, which will go up for auction in early October. / COURTESY RICHARD J.S. GUTMAN
THE EXTERIOR of the Silver Top Diner, which will go up for auction in early October. / COURTESY RICHARD J.S. GUTMAN

PAWTUCKET – Can this diner be saved?
The same questions that buyers of old houses consider will be applied to a deteriorated but classic 1930s diner, the Silver Top Diner, which will be sold “as is” at public auction in early October
The city of Pawtucket is the owner, having acquired the diner after its owner did not comply with the terms of repaying a $100,000 city-backed loan.
The public auction will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 5 at the diner’s site, at 56 Middle St., south of Blake Street, in Pawtucket. The Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency will meet later this month to determine a minimum bid.
The diner dates to 1938, and was constructed by the Kullman Dining Car Co., of Harrison, New Jersey, according to an August 2015 appraisal prepared by Richard J.S. Gutman, a diner historian.
A year ago, Gutman valued the Silver Top at $20,000 to $30,000. The diner has been vacant and unused, covered with a tarp since it was relocated to Pawtucket in March 2002. It originally operated at 13 Harris Ave. in Providence. It was moved to Pawtucket when the Providence site was redeveloped.
According to the appraisal, the Silver Top is a rare surviving example of the “high diner design in the pre-World War II era.”
Gutman, reached by phone on Tuesday, said the diner can “absolutely” be restored to its former glory. It will need an owner who is prepared to spend the funds to renovate it, he said.
“Anything can be saved,” he said. “I have worked on 85 diner projects. I also have known people who have done the hands-on work.”
In some cases, he said, vintage diners have been purchased by companies and used for employee dining. They are part of American culture, and valued.
Gutman first photographed the diner in 1990, and last inspected its interior in August 2015. At that time, he did not inspect the exterior as it was covered with the tarp.
“The diner appears structurally sound and retains nearly all of its original equipment and materials,” he wrote.
Of its original features, several have had deterioration damage. The original porcelain enamel pedestal seats, for example, will have to be refinished, he noted. However, the floor tile, a ceramic mosaic, appeared to be in very good condition, he wrote.
The diner, which is 40 feet long and 16.5 feet wide, has seating for 43 people at booths and at the counter on stools.

No posts to display