The Eckhart Carriage Company was established in 1874 in Auburn, Indiana, and was the direct ancestor of the Auburn Automobile Company, as both were owned by the Eckhart family in the early days. This building is the last remaining building of the carriage factory that was located at East Seventh Street. It was part of the company’s paint shop, where buggies and surreys were painted and later, possibly, some of the very first Auburn automobiles. The Auburn Automobile Company buildings were later built on the surrounding grounds.