Nellie Nickerson purchased the land and building at 4515 Route 6, Eastham from Clayton Horton in 1924. The property had one gas pump that distributed Socony gasoline (Standard Oil Company of New York). Nellie used the building to run a tearoom and added a second gas pump. She eventually put on an addition to the building, which was used as a grocery store.
Nellie’s son Arthur built a two bay garage on the property in 1939. A third bay in the back was added on later. Arthur operated Nickerson Autobody from these bays. The gas station changed from Socony to Gulf.
In 1957 the grocery store building was moved to the property behind the garage and was sold. It is now a barbershop. Three additional bays were added to the garage building. One of the bays was built an extra length to house a school bus that Arthur drove for Eastham. That bay also housed a saddlery shop for one summer.
Arthur retired in 1976 and his son Scott continued the business as Nickerson Service Center. Nickerson Service continued the autobody business for a couple of years, then concentrated on the service and repair of vehicles. The gas was changed from Gulf to Citgo in 1986. Affiliation with AAA began in the early 1990’s providing emergency road service and towing for the lower Cape.