Old Gas Station

This old gas station resides in my town. It sits on the corner of 2 streets 4 blocks from the main road. It does however, sit next to an old rail spur.

I was wondering if anyone recognized the architecture as a plan offered by one of the major gas companies. I find it very unusual with it's Swiss Chalet look and high roofline, and wonder if it was a custom job.

Note the cool details. Stone footings, peaked roofs, multipaned glass windows and roof treatment over the front door.

It is for sale. 5 years ago I bought a 1978 Olds 98 Regency off a fellow that was passing away with cancer and wanted to relieve his wife of some estate issues. He owned this gas station and mentioned it to me but too late.

It was purchased by a local construction company which simply uses it for their equipment. Last year the Buick Club of America's pre war division passed through and I wanted to show them the gas station (at least I think it is a gas station).

The owner said sure, and allowed me to look inside.

The garage door in front is new and open to a bay which can hold any large older car and is well lit. There is another bay, which appears added by cinder block to the NW side. There is a utility room and then in the front is the reception area.

The owner mentioned to my wife that he "should sell it". My wife asked how much and he said "about $20,000". Given it's corner lot location, this is pretty much an empty lot price, maybe a little more.

I think it is pretty cool and I am considering buying it. I could restore it, add a modern high efficiency furnace, and do the reception area up with auto memorabilia, a gas insert fireplace and use it as an office.

It's basically like buying a 2 car garage as there is storage for 2 restored cars or use the one bay for maintenance and the other bay for a restored car.

No basement (thank goodness). I love the look - the swiss chalet look with lots of glass and there is even room in back of the buidling for 2-3 covered cars. the front concrete needs removed or asphalted.

A big component of my interest in the old car hobby is nostalgia. Even though I try, you can't own every car and memorabilia and the feel of the old car world through rose colored glasses has great appeal to me, hence my interest in this old gas station. It's a cold January Saturday in Iowa, you go down to the "restored" gas station, access the AACA forum while you drink some coffee and let the place get up to 72 degrees. You glance around at your old car memorabilia then work on your old Packard for awhile in the engine bay. Sounds good to me.

Does anyone recognize the architecture?

Has anyone else purchased such a building and used it for our hobby purposes?

Looks to have some Scandinavian flair to it.

I wish there was a building like that near me that I could buy for 20K. I would like to do just what you're talking about.

Looks like it will need new shingles, but other than that it looks to be in pretty good condition. 20K seems to be a pretty reasonable price to me. It would be a neat garage / shop for any old car enthusiast. Of course then you would need to find some old gas pumps to put out front.

Some early Texaco stations were the English Tudor style.

Those restored gas pumps are probably as much as the building!

I would "sign it up" outside. I will go check the city archives to see what the original colors or maybe a dealerhsip sign were.

I know there are a couple of gas station geeks on this forum and I am hoping if anyone has a photo of a similar building, they might add it to the forum to compare.

Neat old building. I think almost everyone on this forum has that same idea of owning a little vintage filling station to play with our toys at.

I've thought of building a new vintage one on my shop property with lots of art deco accents just for a little more clean storage for my cars I'm not working on. I alwyas seem to be lacking the funds and or time to build it. I know of a couple of old stations around here that have neat style.

Unfortunately one thing you have to remember in this day and age is soil contamination issues. They could make that little 20,000 station into a 100,000 nightmare. Not sure how they are in your area about that. Around here they are gung ho on anything that even hints at a contaminated site. You could start by checking to see if there are any strikes against the property for that. That would be my biggest worry. With that out of the way. If you have the means I would say go for it. It would be alot of fun.

Everytime I visit Charleston, S.C., I see a similar type station just waiting for attention. That is my dream to set up my office in something like that, with my toys and shop right next to me. Good luck. I'd buy it in a heart beat for that price, as long as there wasn't any contamination issues inherited.

I have thought of that myself and think it would be great. It would cost $20,000 to build a regular residential garage at your house anyway and this one would be purpose built and ready for cars! A few years ago a streamline deco Texaco station turned up on Ebay looking for bids to dismantle it (a prefab) and haul it away.

In the teens and 1920s lots of oil companies used the Tudor style to blend into residential areas like this. In the midwest it could be a Phillips 66 of the late 1920s, but it could have been several possibilities. I would go to the library and pull a few old City Directories. Look at the address listing and look for advertising in the directory. Keep us posted, I think this would be great, Todd C

Todd,

That Texaco project was alot of fun and good for our city and landfill, in that the station was hauled away,

and the city made a few bucks, too. When I approached our city manager about listing the station on ebay,

after his initial surprise (raised eyebrows and all), the city was gung-ho. We wound up getting some great publicity, too.

Remodelled into this 3-bay in 1957, the man who bought it planned to resurrect it in Auburn, IN,

as a petro-themed burger joint. Recycling at its best.

Larger

This is the way it appeared in 1939, after its first renovation from a house with canopy into the

modern 2-bay style, penned by industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes.

Jake, we are looking forward to find out what oil company built the one you found, as a search

of my Texas DOT Field Guide to Service Stations didn't reveal anything like it. Must have been a

Midwestern outfit, or maybe a local one-off. Most probably architect-designed.

Good luck!

TG

Here is a little bit of a different Tudor style Texaco station...

The Pure Oil Company and Phillips 66 had gas stations with roof designs similar to but not exactly like yours.

At any rate, $20,000 seems to be a good buy, but you'll have to put money into it, especially the roofing. Good luck.

Rog

Cool Lookin'!

----Jeff from McCall, ID

Here's one in that style,

If you are interested in buying the station you will need an attorney's title opinion to insure that you are getting clear title to the property without any liens or encumbrances. Get an attorney that specializes in real estate and probate law. Now days a lot of states limit the search of the county real property records to the most recent 30 years. A lot have this info on a computer database so there is no actual search of the county records. Ask the attorney to go back to the 1920's and determine when and to what oil company the property was sold or leased to and you have name of the company that built the station. If the attorney wants to charge extra to do that because they use a 30 year database search, do the early history search yourself. Go the county courthouse to the office of the County Clerk or the Register of Deeds, usually the same office, with the legal description of the property. You can get the legal description from the seller's deed or from the county tax assessor's office with the property owner's name and the street address of the property. The people in the deed register office will help you get started searching the title records.

Good luck.

Hate to be a downer but Bob is right to suggest being careful. Hey Bob, what about EPA soil issues, any thoughts?

TGRoadmaster, interesting follow up on the Ebay station, I was impressed with that idea and glad it worked for all concerned.

Jake, Roger mentioned the Phillips and Pure stations, which I understand were actually designed by the same architect in the mid 1920s and were both used in the Midwest. Looked up some photos and it looks like as a design element Phillips stations had a chimney on the front of the building and Pure stations had one on each end. Neither had the upturned edges on the ends of the roof. Those company stations also seem to usually have doors with rounded tops like the Mobil station above. But I think I have a winner for you on this link, White Eagle. Enjoy, Todd C

Gas Stations

Todd C is correct. If you decide to buy make the contract to purchase contingent upon receiving all environmental releases from the EPA on down to the local city. If there is ground contamination there is no protection from the EPA they can go after anyone that owns or has ever owned any interest in the real property. Get an experienced real estate attorney to prepare the contract to purchase.

Isn't wounderful what great laws some bureau clerk can make with a stroke of a pen.

The big concern, if I were in your position, would be if any tank's were left in the ground. Before the law's changed, filling them with water was the choice.

great thread i really want to join this

All

Next stop will be the city's historical committee. They occupy a building up town but you have to have an appt to view archives.

As for tanks. None on the property. (Above ground).

As for submerged tanks, my father in law owned a Sinclair station for years and about 15 years ago they were forced to replace their gas tanks with new generation tanks OR quit and leave the ones in the ground empty (filled/collapsed-just not with gas)

We have been in Madrid for 8 years and this was a shut building "probably" for 20-30 years. I doubt it was used as a gas station for at least 40 years.

Brian

It makes no difference if the station sat for 40 years unsed as a service station or whether or not there are underground tanks. If any hydrocarbon (oil and gasoline) contamination of the soil is found the EPA can force the removal of any underground tanks, and removal and disposal of the contaminated soil. This can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is why one has to be very careful in dealing with any property that was used for any purpose in the past that could have lead to soil contamination. Get written clearence and releases from all enviornmental regulatory agencies.

I have been in the petroleum land management field for over 40 years and I have seen some real nightmares dealing with the EPA and state agencies.

another good site for old gas stations is The Old Motor A wonderful web site of old photos, they have many gas station pictures

If you can get a clean Phase I inspection (very doubtful), you are good to go. If it is contaminated, you may spend $50k or more remediating the site. If it is contaminated, another alternative (slim chance, but worth trying) is to work with your state and get the site declared a brownfield. Very time consuming but could be a workable solution

I too have been looking for old style station to setup on my property. I saw down around Klamath Falls Oregon about 10 years, a smallunit, with lot of windows, it possible it was weight station but I think at old gas station.

I too have been looking for old style station to setup on my property. I saw down around Klamath Falls Oregon about 10 years, a smallunit, with lot of windows, it possible it was weight station but I think at old gas station.

Was that building between Klamath Falls and Ashland? There was a 6 volt station skeleton on Highway 66 about half way between those two towns.

Bryan, there is a similar building in old town section of Danville (which unfortunately is now smack in the middle of the 'hood). Last thing I knew it to be used as was as a watchmaker's shop, though I'm told it was a gas station thru the 1950s.

There is also one on North Main here with a very high pitch roof. It was a Pure station up till its owner retired around 1990. He was an ace mechanic and did good business. It was then a tire store for a while but it's closed now. Again, now in a rotten location.

Dang, here it is as the tire store!

http://www.agilitynut.com/07/10/brickpure2.jpg

http://www.agilitynut.com/07/10/brickpure.jpg

City is on a blight eradication kick and they're condemning and razing buildings all up and down North Main. I'm waiting for them to go after this one, as one of the criteria is unoccupied continuously more than 1 year and these people have absolutely no sense of history or architectural significance. They razed one of the grand houses on N Main and refused to even let an architectural salvage company go in to salvage the elaborate woodwork and fixtures, and the heart pine floors.

They will also hamstring any property owner's effort to restore a building in any of the historic districts.

But let a developer come in with grandiose plans for a new chain restaurant or even an ugly strip mall and they fall all over themselves to make it happen.

I hope you can swing saving this one. Interesting building. Just beware EPA mess, as others have said. If there's ever been so much as a sludge tank in the ground, things can go downhill very quickly.

If you can get a clean Phase I inspection (very doubtful), you are good to go. If it is contaminated, you may spend $50k or more remediating the site. If it is contaminated, another alternative (slim chance, but worth trying) is to work with your state and get the site declared a brownfield. Very time consuming but could be a workable solution

I believe that brownfield development of a site like this is hardly a "slim chance". The reuse of gas statins in particular has been a point of emphasis in the program from the beginning. In fact the US-EPA has a large program to promote brownfield development, including old gas stations ( Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) | US EPA ), as do most states. Some people may be too anti-government to accept the financial grants/assistance from such programs, but if not it's usually a way most people like

There is also one on North Main here with a very high pitch roof. It was a Pure station up till its owner retired around 1990.

2nd time I have seen PURE Oil associated with the high pitched architecture. I wish I could get into the city archives.

Although it has 2 bays for auto service, one was added (the cinder block addition in the rear) and this sits next to a pulled RR spur. I am hoping, base don the environmental comments, that perhaps this was a RR station for dropoffs but who knows.

I'll get into the archives soon. Supposedly only open Sat. mornings.

2nd time I have seen PURE Oil associated with the high pitched architecture. I wish I could get into the city archives.

Although it has 2 bays for auto service, one was added (the cinder block addition in the rear) and this sits next to a pulled RR spur. I am hoping, base don the environmental comments, that perhaps this was a RR station for dropoffs but who knows.

I'll get into the archives soon. Supposedly only open Sat. mornings.

You must have missed my earlier note, this is said to be a White Eagle station and is a match for yours Click here: Gas Stations

Although it has 2 bays for auto service, one was added (the cinder block addition in the rear) and this sits next to a pulled RR spur. I am hoping, base don the environmental comments, that perhaps this was a RR station for dropoffs but who knows.

Those look like Story County license plates on the S10. I'm guessing this station is in Nevada or some other town near Ames (where I was in grad school).

Chances are that spur was for grain silo or some similar use. It's possible it was related to this building, but very unlikely. If you go to the property recodrs at the county courthouse (which is a much simpler process than most real estate agents would like to admit) you can look up who owned that site from the moment it was first mapped when the town was laid out. That'll answer most of your questions about it.

I believe that brownfield development of a site like this is hardly a "slim chance". The reuse of gas statins in particular has been a point of emphasis in the program from the beginning. In fact the US-EPA has a large program to promote brownfield development, including old gas stations ( Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) | US EPA ), as do most states. Some people may be too anti-government to accept the financial grants/assistance from such programs, but if not it's usually a way most people like

This WAS a helpful post at one time.

Jake,

Does your city library or historical group have old city directories? The directories are a quick way to determine who/what owned the building, and should list the people who ran the business.

Todd,

I didn't see your link till after finding the same page looking for White Eagle; passed right over the link. Great job of sleuthing you did there, BTW. My point about city directories is to perhaps locate a past owner or his family for info or pics of the station's past. Your post established its White Eagle origins, without doubt.

West,

Is this the station in Charleston, SC, that you were talking about? The pic was taken about 15 years ago,

right in the middle of an historic district. Given their strict preservation regs, I wonder if it's still there?

Larger

TG

Hello TG, I agree the City Directories are a must for tracing the history and maybe a family that ran the station. Looking at that website I would say the building must have been a White Eagle, the similarities are unmistakeable. The interesting part of the story seems to be the White Eagle brand itself, which I was unfamiliar with. It appears it was a popular brand in the midwest and central Canada in the late 1920s and very early 1930s. Various sources say the brand was purchased by Socony-Mobiloil around 1930-31 to facilitate their entry into the midwest and the buildings must have been being built right about that time. Probably an interesting story there, do we think building the buildings overextended the company at the outset of the Depression?

Click here: White Eagle Gasoline Statue

They say the stations all had a large white eagle statue too. Anybody know more about this brand? Todd C

Todd

That's it isn't it. The 'bump' over the door. Sorry guys, no more to add until Saturday. I can go into city archives by appt, so I will call the number.

I know this is NOT the same era or style as your potential Gas Station but wanted to show what Port Huron, Michigan decided to do with an abandoned station several years ago. They restored this building to age appropriate condition including the gasoline pumps (which are on a metal rolling base that goes inside every night at closing). It was their Tourist Information Building just on the edge of Town.

If it was not for the two modern cars in the frame my 58 Buick Special would look to be in 1958? and ready to be filled up.

dei

That is awesome and just shows what a community can do with older interesting buildings.

We have another old gas station uptown in Madrid that has been converted to an ice cream parlor. It does not have the cache of this White Eagle style building but is still easily recognizble as a former gas station.

I know this is NOT the same era or style as your potential Gas Station but wanted to show what Port Huron, Michigan decided to do with an abandoned station several years ago. They restored this building to age appropriate condition including the gasoline pumps (which are on a metal rolling base that goes inside every night at closing). It was their Tourist Information Building just on the edge of Town.

If it was not for the two modern cars in the frame my 58 Buick Special would look to be in 1958? and ready to be filled up.

I think Odell, IL did something similar for an old Standard station (I seem to recall there being tourist info there?), that we stopped by on a family Route 66 drive in the summer of '07 (sorry, the 2001 Passat wagon doesn't look quite as cool as a '58 Buick).

This link looks like it is applicable to the Odell station: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/standard_oil_gas_station_odell.html

The Red Crown Mini-Museum took the private museum route in Lafayette, IN, formerly Jonesy's Standard Service,

in a photo taken almost 20 years ago. There was a circa-'32 Packard Victoria in the single bay at the time.

Larger

I always try to get pics of these old stations, because they might not be there on the next visit.

TG

I have an update but it is informational only. I went to the town historical building which is only open from 2-4 on Sat. afternoon and is attended by two nice older gentlemen.

I said I wanted some information or photos on the gas station at 6th and STATE Streets.

They said "Oh, that's the old White Eagle Station." So, there you go. But no photos, yet.

There was some curiosity by me of why the station was not on our town's main drag, Highway 17.

They said, "that's easy". In the old days the bus route took a left on 6th street, went North on State street to downtown Madrid before joining back up to Highway 17 on the north end of town.

Therefore, the location of the White Eagle gas station on the corner of 6th and Street, in what is now purely a residential area - was very strategic back in the 20's.

In those days, business was primarily conducted downtown and because of this corner lot location the business was successful for years.

They could not recall when it stopped being a gas station. They did provide me 4 names of old guys that would know a lot more about it including a neighbor of mine that worked there and "might" have a photo. So, I have more research to do but suspect that because White Eagle apparently went out of business before WW II, there are not many examples left and Todd's excellent website research shows - so far - 4 exist. Since all are either in Iowa or MN so far, I would say White Eagle was a regional gas station chain.

They remember the White Eagle Statue as being there for years, even after it became a MOBIL station. Maybe the statue is inside? I asked was it always red and white and they could not remember the red part, the distinctive red shingles look very old, but I can not remember if Mobil's scheme was red and white. They just remember white.

Once I talk to the 4 old timers, I will report back. There are no doubt tanks somewhere underneath but I have to beleive they are filled with dirt, long rusted out.

Note the photos attached from a circa 1951 town photo with my crude scribbles showing where the station is.

Information on White Eagle Gas Stations and why the one in my town ended up with a MOBIL affiliation.

White Eagle Gasoline (1910′s and 1920′s)

White Eagle is one of the brands of gasoline that resulted from the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911. It was widely sold in Midwestern states during the 1910′s and 1920′s.

White EAgle Refinery (1923)

In 1917, five refineries were operating in the state, including small operations at Greybull and Cowley. By 1923, Casper alone boasted five refineries—the tiny Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Company facility on South Center Street built in 1895; the Belgo-American refinery (later known as the Midwest Refinery) built east of Highland Cemetery in 1903; the giant Standard Oil refinery in southwest Casper, opened in March 1914 and expanded in 1922 into the largest gasoline-producing refinery in the world; the Texaco refinery, three miles east of Casper that opened in 1923; and the small White Eagle refinery opened the same year.

Socony acquires White Eagle Oil & Refining Co. (1930)

Socony entered the Midwest for the first time with a 1930 purchase of White Eagle Oil & Refining Company, with gas stations in 11 states. Socony now needed even more crude oil to supply these additional market outlets, and like most of the other big international oil concerns, Socony looked to the Middle East. On every gasoline pump belonging to White Eagle Petroleum was a beautiful, molded glass white eagle. One of the unpleasant duties I had to perform was to get the newly-formed White Eagle Division of Socony-Vacuum to replace their eagle pump glves with a rather somber round globe with the official Socony seal on it.

Mobil Oil Company (today)

Today’s Mobil Oil Company is made up of several oil companies that were bought or absorbed over the years, like White Eagle, Vacuum Oil, Socony, General Petroleum, Magnolia, Lubrite, Wadhams, Gilmore and White Star.