Old gas stations

[BobHufford]

Springfield Missouri (behind the Shrine Mosque).

It's gone and the Sears is now a convention center.

 

[BlueTrain]

In a way, it's a little more surprising when something hasn't changed than when it has. This last post, however, shows our current need for lots of parking lots. The lack of parking was something people complained about in my hometown sixty years ago, so there must be something to it.

 

[Fading Fast]

In a way, it's a little more surprising when something hasn't changed than when it has. This last post, however, shows our current need for lots of parking lots. The lack of parking was something people complained about in my hometown sixty years ago, so there must be something to it.

This is so true, it really is amazing when things last.

Restaurants in NYC fail at a 90%+ rate within three years of opening, yet some have survived for over a hundred years.

I live in an apartment building built in 1928 and our apartment has the original floorpan 98% in tack, one fully original bathroom and about half of the rest of the apartment is original to '28. We bought it 2+ years ago and still can't believe so much of it made through to us in tack.

Amazing.

 

[BlueTrain]

Even when things are long gone, there can sometimes be evidence of their presence somewhere there yet, if you know where to look. Anything that changed the earth can be very long lasting, even if it's difficult to detect. In the U.K. in places, there are faint marks of Roman roads crossing a field still visible today, but really only from the air. In fact, roadways, including railroad right-of-ways, remain noticeable for ages after the road has been rerouted, usually not far from the original layout. And of course, most roads are on the same path the were on hundreds of years ago.

Those are the marks on the land. The interior of a building will rarely have the floor plan altered but will often be remodeled or refurbished at some point over the years if it is not to have a run-down appearance. So an original floorplan would not be so remarkable but it would be something to still have the original floors and windows in a very old building. In some places, 1928 isn't that old. In very old buildings, say built before 1800, restoration to the original condition becomes problematic because the condition of the building was never static.

In the pictures of the gas station, I see that the fire hydrant is still there. Probably the original one, too.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

This one is on Liberty Street, in Jacksonville, Florida:

Rob

 

[Stearmen]

Those are the marks on the land. The interior of a building will rarely have the floor plan altered but will often be remodeled or refurbished at some point over the years if it is not to have a run-down appearance. So an original floorplan would not be so remarkable but it would be something to still have the original floors and windows in a very old building. In some places, 1928 isn't that old. In very old buildings, say built before 1800, restoration to the original condition becomes problematic because the condition of the building was never static.

In the pictures of the gas station, I see that the fire hydrant is still there. Probably the original one, too.

Here in the States, it is common to rearrange the floor plan! The open concept seems to be the new Holy Grail. Knock out walls, to make one giant open first floor. My 1890 Queen Anne has the tell tail signs of where a wall was dividing the parlor from the entryway, now it's all open. Plus the door separating the entryway from the dinning room is gone, along with the door to the kitchen.

 

[Fading Fast]

Here in the States, it is common to rearrange the floor plan! The open concept seems to be the new Holy Grail. Knock out walls, to make one giant open first floor. My 1890 Queen Anne has the tell tail signs of where a wall was dividing the parlor from the entryway, now it's all open. Plus the door separating the entryway from the dinning room is gone, along with the door to the kitchen.

Spot on. Most of the floor plans in my 1928 apartment building - 60 apartments - have been altered in some way. Some alterations are small, but some are full on to the point that you couldn't recognize the original plan. People enlarge bathrooms and kitchens, take out walls to make open floorpans (as you said), create closets, eliminate closets, add in bathrooms, combine rooms, create new divides. It is pretty rare to have a true original floorpan.

Ours is untouched other than that a small semi-partition in the kitchen was taken down that separated the "working" kitchen from the "eating" part of the kitchen. The actual walls weren't touched, but it changes the feel of the room. Away from that, the floor plan is the original as we have copies of the floor plans from the original architect's filing. I've been in, about, ten or so of the 60 apartments in the building and all of the ten have had floor plan changes made. Also, none have an original bathroom with original fixtures like we have (I'm told it is the only one left in the building, but can't confirm that).

Even when things are long gone, there can sometimes be evidence of their presence somewhere there yet, if you know where to look. Anything that changed the earth can be very long lasting, even if it's difficult to detect. In the U.K. in places, there are faint marks of Roman roads crossing a field still visible today, but really only from the air. In fact, roadways, including railroad right-of-ways, remain noticeable for ages after the road has been rerouted, usually not far from the original layout. And of course, most roads are on the same path the were on hundreds of years ago.

Those are the marks on the land. The interior of a building will rarely have the floor plan altered but will often be remodeled or refurbished at some point over the years if it is not to have a run-down appearance. So an original floorplan would not be so remarkable but it would be something to still have the original floors and windows in a very old building. In some places, 1928 isn't that old. In very old buildings, say built before 1800, restoration to the original condition becomes problematic because the condition of the building was never static.

In the pictures of the gas station, I see that the fire hydrant is still there. Probably the original one, too.

This is so true. The other day I was waiting for the elevator and noticed a big and deep chip in the paint on the stairwell railing. This is in the "service" part of the building which is painted institutional grey. Well at different times, it was also painted, green, yellow, red and, maybe, white. I'm sure an architectural historian could get a wealth of information out of that one chip. It is funny as the grey it is now is very of-the-pre-war-period (think flat battleship grey) and "feels" original - like it's always been that color. But clearly, the stairs and stairwell have had many colors over the years. My guess, as our building, now, has a Board that respects its "heritage" chose a color that was historically accurate when the stairwells were last painted. At other times, I bet "modernizing" the look was important to the Board at that time.

 

[Benzadmiral]

And, a New England United Co-op station, circa 1930...

View attachment 66263

Rob

"Gointa be a chilly one, t'day."

"Ayuh."

 

[BobHufford]

Wish we would have had one of these around when I was a kid...

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ And the best thing is:

• The mile-long Cadillac that is insane - not quite it

• The crazy futuristic design that looks like a cross between a Bond-villian's lair in miniature and a discard from Disney's Tomorrowland, neat, but that's not it either.

• The attendants - gas station attendants, mind you - in all white outfits, very Rat Pac cool, but, nope, not it either

• The humble but lovable green dinosaur both on the sign and ridiculously perched on the side of the building that is completely out of step with the super-cool, Jet Age theme - ding, ding, ding. That's it, that is the best thing. He doesn't care if he doesn't quite fit in. His job is building the Sinclair brand and he's working hard at it. Fads come and go, but a dinosaur mascot is the real deal

 

[LizzieMaine]

Ah, "Super Service Station." I would read that at the kitchen table while eating toasted-cheese sandwiches at my grandparents' house.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

On West Beaver Street (US 90) in Jacksonville; being used as a working garage...

Rob

 

[BobHufford]

Saw this in Mansfield, Missouri this evening. No pic, but the drive-over grease pit is still on the other side. Laura Ingalls Wilder probably bought gas here.

 

[dh66]

Wish we would have had one of these around when I was a kid...

That's awesome!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Opening day, 1955

Rob

 

[2jakes]

Gulf gas pump with clothesline, barn and horse-drawn...

 

[2jakes]

 

[2jakes]

Filler up....

Regal whiskey or mellow Jax and a barbeque !

 

[Stearmen]

Free airplane wash with every fill up!

 

[LizzieMaine]

There are "petroliana" geeks who would have a fit over that photo. "Mobiloil" pump plates on a "Mobilgas" pump???? IT WAS NEVER DONE! IT'S A FAAAAAAAAAKE!