46 PRESERVATION 

BRIEFS 

The Preservation and Reuse of 

Historic Gas Stations 

Chad Randl 

National Park Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Unless your tank is empty, gasoline stations rarely 

attract attention. Yet, for the past hundred years gas 

stations have occupied prime locations on main streets 

and suburban corners, on small town roads, and 

along early highways. They are one of America's most 

common commercial building types and are emblematic 

of the twentieth century. Surviving historic stations are 

physical reminders of the transportation revolution and 

the influence of increased mobility on the landscape. 

They are a reflection of car culture, pop culture, 

corporate standardization, and an era of customer 

service that today seems quaint. 

Many of these now historic gas stations are deteriorating 

or abandoned (Fig. 1). Changing land use patterns have 

concentrated new development along commercial strips 

beyond the downtown and neighborhood locations 

where many historic stations survive. Interstates have 

routed traffic away from once-thriving gas stations on 

what are now secondary roads. Small buildings and 

small lots, unresolved environmental issues, and a 

relentless push for standardization are all challenges to 

the continuing use of historic gas station properties. 

Across the United States, however, gas stations are 

slowly being rediscovered for their historic significance. 

They have even been included on statewide endangered 

property lists. Once spurned as out of place incursions 

or eyesores, historic stations are increasingly appreciated 

for their contribution to the character of a neighborhood, 

and the way they are easily adapted for new uses. This 

Preservation Brief provides guidance on assessing the 

significance of historic gas stations and encourages 

their preservation by providing information on the 

maintenance and repair of existing structures. This Brief 

also describes appropriate rehabilitation treatments, 

including conversion for new functions 

when the historic use is no longer feasible. 

The unique features and characteristics 

that define historic gas stations can be 

respected and preserved through sensitive 

maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation. 

Such work minimizes unnecessary 

alterations and ensures that the building 

continues to contribute to the character 

and vitality of its community. 

Historical Background 

For early motorists, refueling was rarely 

convenient and often dangerous. At bulk 

depots on the edge of town, gasoline 

Figure 1. Abandoned historic gas stations have in the past been viewed as a hindrance to 

the redevelopment of a neighborhood or community. Yet sensitive rehabilitations can ensure 

that the historic character of these buildings is preserved while providing for an economic 

reuse. This 1930s station in Milwaukee, WI, was later rehabilitated for use as a coffee shop. 

Photo: Robert Olin, Sherman Perk. 

was transferred from large storage tanks 

to smaller glass or metal dispensers 

and then poured by hand. With the 

increasing availability of the motor car 

and the 1905 invention of the gas pump, 

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car dealers, grocery stores, hardware 

stores, and other businesses contracted 

with refiners, installed pumps out 

front, and sold gas along the curbside 

(Fig. 2). Soon, the dramatic increase in 

car ownership led oil companies and 

entrepreneurs to introduce what we now 

commonly refer to as gas stations. Over 

the next hundred years, the gas station 

took many forms reflecting the ebb 

and flow of popular design trends, the 

growth of the petroleum industry, and a 

procession of new services and formats, 

from car washes to mini-marts. Though 

the evolution of gas station forms seen 

throughout this history is quite varied, 

a number of general types have been 

identified.1 

Historic Gas Station Types 

Figure 3. This shed-type station with its prefabriated steel panels, pump island, and 

canopy prefigured many later gas station designs. Photo: American Petroleum Institute 

Photograph and Film Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American 

History, Smithsonian Institution. 

Shed-Type Stations. Detached structures built 

specifically for the sale of gasoline appeared during 

the second decade of the twentieth century in an effort 

to meet the petroleum demand generated by the Ford 

Model T and other affordable automobiles. In the initial 

race to expand, companies and independent operators 

constructed basic sheds to serve as drive-in filling 

stations. Many were rudimentary frame shacks with 

wood or corrugated metal exteriors. More substantial 

designs featured prefabricated metal panels, industrial 

steel windows, and some limited ornament. In either 

case, the shed was a utilitarian building used for storage 

and office space, and to shelter the station attendant. 

Pumps were placed immediately adjacent to the 

structure or separated on the lot by a driveway where 

cars parked to refuel (Fig. 3). 

Figure 2. Although hardly an ideal sales system, pumps and 

underground tanks along the curb were an improvement over 

the earliest filling stations where gasoline was poured from 

hand containers. Photo: Utah State Historical Society, used by 

permission, all rights reserved. 

Multiple Use Stations. While shed stations were often 

located in central business districts, it was common 

in rural areas to see gas stations appended to existing 

structures. Businesses such as restaurants, inns, 

repair garages, oil depots, and general stores with 

gas pumps out front were an extension of the original 

urban curbside gas stands (and precursors to latetwentieth century convenience store and rest stop-gas 

station combinations). Compared with earlier curbside 

stands, multiple use stations usually had ample land to 

accommodate separate drive-in spaces for cars to park 

while filling up-an especially important feature on 

higher speed rural roads. 

Some of these early multiple use stations had the gas 

retail function located within the existing structure; in 

other cases, a separate shed or house-type station was 

constructed on the site. Canopies were an increasingly 

common feature, extending over the refueling area to 

shelter the attendant and parked car. Soon canopies 

came to serve as large signifiers that the otherwise 

nondescript establishment was a gas station. 

House-Type Stations. By the early 1920s, oil companies, 

distributors, and private entrepreneurs were building 

new stations on spacious and prominent sites in 

established residential neighborhoods and in growing 

communities. As business increased, so did local 

complaints about the intrusion of gas stations into 

residential areas. 

In response the industry adopted conventional forms 

to make their stations look less like shacks and more 

like houses. Often with larger customer areas, and 

increasingly providing public bathrooms and service 

bays for car maintenance and repair, these stations were 

more substantial structures than earlier ones. Some 

were unassuming with simple clapboard siding, wood 

sash windows, and a pitched (often hipped) roof. The 
Programmatic gas stations could 

be very modest in size with a shape 

given over entirely to the object 

depicted. Shell Oil Company built 

a number of stations that were little 

more than sheds in the shape of 

their logo, the pecten seashell (Fig. 

5). Colonial Beacon stations in New 

York State featured three-story 

lighthouses attached to otherwise 

unexceptional house-style stations. 

Equally peculiar, though generally 

more conventional in form, were 

the custom-built gas stations faced 

with unusual materials such as 

locally-obtained cobblestones, 

petrified wood, or driftwood. 

Figure 4. Designs based on popular domestic forms helped stations blend in with residential 

neighborhoods while imparting a sense of stability and permanence. This Tudor Revival station 

was converted for use as a repair shop with virtually no change to the structure or site. 

Box-Type Stations. Departing 

notably from elaborate revival style 

stations, a new form appeared in 

the early 1930s, the box station. 

Blending Art Moderne and 

International Style motifs, box 

stations featured flat-roofs and 

only clues that such structures were gas stations were 

the pumps, a sign, and the increasingly popular canopy 

linking the pump island and the building. 

Other stations reflected the period revival trend popular 

in residential architecture at the time. Colonial Revival 

gas stations sheathed in brick with white columns, 

pilasters, double-hung windows, and cupolas were 

common. Tudor and English Cottage designs featuring 

casement windows, arched door openings, and steeplypitched roofs were also popular (Fig. 4). Mission 

Revival stations with hipped roofs and stucco walls were 

developed by some companies, while others adapted 

Asian pagoda and temple forms. 

The move toward the house-type station was also a 

sign of growing competition within the oil industry as 

businesses worked to garner customer trust and loyalty. 

Companies developed distinctive brands and signature 

building forms. Pure Oil, for example was wellknown for its English Cottage stations, while Standard 

Oil favored Colonial Revival designs. The effort to 

develop iconic signage and stations foreshadowed allencompassing branding campaigns that dominated gas 

station design later in the century. 

Programmatic Stations. During the 1920s and 30s and 

continuing after World War II, some gas stations showed 

a marked contrast to the predominant shed, house, and 

later box designs. Called programmatic architecture, 

these stations assumed the fanciful shape of animals, 

apples, tea kettles, tepees, windmills, castles, icebergs, and 

airplanes. Appealing to the curiosity of passing motorists, 

programmatic stations were inspired by local culture, 

distinctive local materials, or the whim of the owner. 

unadorned exteriors of stucco, terra 

cotta, porcelain enamel steel, or structural glass panels. 

With their glossy white exteriors and scientificallydesigned lighting schemes, box stations were meant to 

attract attention. 

These stations reflected the increasing importance 

petroleum companies placed on standardization and 

predictability. As with earlier house-type stations, 

companies introduced variations intended to provide 

designs with a visual identity that customers could 

easily associate with a particular brand. The use of 

glass and porcelain enamel presented a futuristic image 

of modern efficiency, cleanliness, and professionalism. 

Texaco, Socony, and Gulf, among others, relied on 

these up-to-date box forms because they were easily 

replicated, were relatively low maintenance, and 

Figure 5. This 1936 Shell station in Winston-Salem, NC, is an 

example of a programmatic design, meant to attract attention and 

stick in the customer's mind. It was recently rehabilitated to serve 

as a field office for Preservation North Carolina. Photo: Preservation 

North Carolina. 

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Understanding Significance 

Although form and decoration 

vary, most historic gas stations 

share a number of features that 

help define their character. These 

features can identify a particular 

structure as belonging to a common 

gas station type, like the clinker 

bricks used on Tudor house-type 

designs. Alternately, features 

may accentuate the uniqueness of 

Figure 6. Box-type stations often incorporated Art Moderne forms such as this design's rounded 

corners, stripes, and large sales windows. Photo: American Petroleum Institute Photograph and 

Film Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. 

a particular structure, such as a 

custom roof design or circular plan. 

Some features were highly unusual 

when first adopted, later became 

unexceptional, and today are once 

again rare and distinctive. A prime 

example is the V-shaped canopy 

found on postwar Phillips 66 gas 

stations (Fig. 8). 

functioned as elegant, yet affordable showcases for 

their products. 

The form and layout of box stations were also 

influenced by current economic conditions. Pushed 

during the Great Depression to explore other revenue 

streams, station owners added service and repair bays 

(emphasizing the characteristic rectangular footprint 

of box stations) as well as expanded sales areas to 

market lucrative car tires, batteries, and accessories. 

Large display windows and glazed service bay doors 

highlighted these products and services (Fig. 6). 

Stylized Boxes. After World War II, the rectangular 

box remained the primary American gas station 

form. Structurally, most postwar box stations were 

made of concrete block rather than the steel frames 

common among prewar box stations. To distinguish 

their establishments from others down the street, 

owners and companies began to vary this basic form 

as well as retrofit existing box stations to incorporate 

contemporary design trends. Display windows 

were often canted at an angle reminiscent of the tail 

fins sported by rockets and new automobiles. New 

canopies featured raking profiles, folded plate roofs, 

and boomerang-shaped supports reflecting a popular 

interest in aeronautics and high technology. 

Such space-age designs were relatively short lived. As 

in the past, changing architectural tastes and public 

complaints about the incompatibility of gas stations 

with their residential neighbors led station owners 

back to more conservative approaches. By the 1960s 

new stations with gently sloping shingled roofs, 

brick and stone facades, and period revival details 

appeared on what remained essentially rectangular box 

forms. Existing modern box designs were retrofitted 

with traditional features and ornament, fabricated 

increasingly of aluminum or molded-plastic (Fig. 7). 

Historic features that contribute to the character of a 

gas station should be preserved. Features that may not 

be original can, if they remain in place for a sufficient 

period, acquire significance. It is necessary, therefore, 

to determine not only how a structure appeared 

when first constructed, but how it changed over time. 

Understanding the history and evolution of a particular 

gas station and identifying its important characteristics 

are the first steps in any rehabilitation project. Archival 

photographs, original plans, newspaper clippings, 

personal scrapbooks, records, and reminiscences, as well 

as surviving physical evidence, can provide information 

about a building's earlier appearance. Informed 

decisions about reconciling new functions with the 

retention of historic features, and about the possible 

removal of later additions, can only be made after 

important features are identified and understood. 

Figure 7. During the 1960s existing box stations were often 

remodeled and new stations were designed with Colonial Revival 

or Ranch house details. Photo: American Petroleum Institute 

Photograph and Film Collection, Archives Center, National Museum 

of American History, Smithsonian Institution. 
Form. A gas station's structural form is of central 

importance. The outward appearance of a historic 

gas station-its size, shape, massing, and scale-often 

reflected a particular locale; it gives the historic 

property its identity; and contributes today to a public 

understanding of when and why it was constructed. 

Diminutive structures functioned as no-frills filling 

stations. Larger stations incorporating other services 

(some entirely unrelated to the automobile) suggested 

an ambitious effort to capitalize on a growing 

community or shifts in consumer demand. The 

character of the neighborhood and building lot often 

influenced the gas station designer's choice of size, 

architectural styling, or form; in some instances the 

introduction of the gas station then influenced how the 

neighborhood developed. 

Roof. The roof's configuration, pitch, and covering 

are also important (Fig. 9). Gas stations designed in 

the various Romantic revival styles popular during 

the first half of the 20th century often featured roofs 

that imitated historic forms. English Cottage stations 

featured slate roofs, while clay tiles (either rounded or 

flat and usually terra cotta in color) appeared on the 

pitched roofs of Mission, Spanish, and Mediterranean 

Revival gas stations. The 1960s era Stylized Box 

stations with Ranch house detailing have shallow, often 

overlapping roof pitches central to the design. 

While some gas stations were defined, in part, by 

historicized roofs, others were characterized by the 

absence of a pitched roof. Flat roofs or very low-sloped 

roofs concealed behind parapets were common on 

both articulated contemporary designs, such as glasssheathed Streamline, Moderne, and International Style 

gas stations, as well as basic utilitarian boxes. 

Materials. Related to the gas station's outward form are 

the materials used to construct and finish it. Exterior 

materials and cladding help place the structure in a 

particular time period. Designers and owners selected 

finishes and building forms that they hoped would 

convey certain associations in the minds of customers. 

Figure 8. This former Phillips 66 gas 

station in Burlington, VT, sports a 

quintessential stylized box design. Its 

space age canopy is visible from far down 

the road. Photo: Devin A. Colman. 

Brick or stone suggested tradition, stability, and quality, 

while structural glass and porcelain enamel connoted 

up-to-date technology, cleanliness, and efficiency. Less 

distinguished materials could be adapted to a particular 

stylistic form-exposed concrete block was used on 

both Modernist and Colonial Revival gas stations. They 

could also reveal that the structure was built quickly in 

a strategic location to take advantage of existing traffic 

and anticipated growth. 

Windows and Doors. The casement windows on 

English Cottage stations and the wrap-around display 

glass and the steel sash used on side elevations of 

Streamline designs are examples of how windows 

can be integral to a gas station's historic character. As 

with other features, windows contribute to an overall 

architectural statement, help date the building to a 

particular period, and reflect the changing nature of 

the gas station. The large display windows that first 

became popular in the 1920s allowed owners to put 

lubricants and accessories on view while at the same 

time conveying the positive attributes of transparency 

and modern efficiency. Appearing between the World 

Wars, Colonial Revival stations with their double-hung 

and small divided-light windows presented a reassuring 

sense of tradition and dignity. 

Doors and entrances are likely to be significant, 

especially those on primary elevations. Perhaps the 

most important openings found on historic gas stations 

are the service bay doors. Surviving gas stations from 

the early-twentieth century may still have their folding 

or sliding doors. The majority of historic stations, 

however, likely feature segmental doors that were 

guided by wheels set into tracks. When first introduced 

these overhead doors were largely wood. Successive 

door models featured more numerous and larger glass 

lights. By the postwar era, overhead metal doors with 

fully-glazed panels predominated. 

Interior Spaces. Whether they date from 1916 or 1965, 

basic gas station sheds often contained a single room. 

Other modest stations usually had a sales area that 

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For a modest or nondescript station, the 

canopy may have been a dominating 

feature. Often the canopy functioned as 

both shelter and sign. Sweeping out across 

the filling aisles and coming to a sharp 

point, supported by an open web post or 

cantilevered to appear weightless, canopies 

worked to attract the attention of passing 

motorists and stand out on cluttered 

commercial strips. 

Signage. Gasoline is essentially a nondifferentiable commodity; customers 

rarely see it and rarely notice a difference 

from one brand to the next. To establish 

Figure 9. The dominant feature of this former gas station (1929) in Cedarburg, WI, is 

its pagoda-style metal tile roof (complete with upturned eaves and Japanese lanterns 

suspended from the cupola). The building currently functions as a jewelry store. Photo: 

a recognizable identity, companies have 

long tied their products to specific logos 

and signs. Texaco's star, Shell's pecten, 

and Mobil's pegasus are well-known 

examples. Other symbols and lettering, 

from those found on defunct franchises to 

neighborhood establishments with names 

painted directly on the brick, are less 

familiar, but often have local significance. 

Kenneth M. Itle, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Logos, stripes, and other color schemes all 

included product displays and a counter. Depending 

on the structure's size, additional rooms may have 

opened off of this space, including an office, restroom, 

storeroom, and boiler room. When separate restroom 

facilities were provided for both genders, entry to the 

ladies room was traditionally provided through an 

exterior door. Service bays were typically connected to 

the sales area and sized to accommodate the repair and 

maintenance of one to four cars at a time. These open 

spaces featured tire racks and built-in shelving to store 

tools and parts along the sides and rear. When hydraulic 

lifts replaced below-grade repair pits, new service bay 

heights increased accordingly. Over time, the sales floor 

area generally increased as owners realized the profit 

potential of products from windshield wiper blades to 

snacks and soda. 

A gas station's interior, including room partitions, 

decorative moldings, floor and ceiling surfaces, ceiling 

fixtures, and built-in furnishings like shelves and 

counters may contribute to the building'S historic 

integrity. By understanding the structure's evolution 

and history of past alterations, existing interior features 

can be evaluated as to their relative significance. 

Canopies. Either self-supporting, or more commonly 

extending from the main building across to the pump 

island, canopies sheltered attendants, customers, and 

pumps from inclement weather. They also provided 

prominent space to emblazon with company names, 

colors, and logos. They embellished an otherwise 

nondescript block building and could carryover an 

aesthetic theme such as sculpted streamline curves or 

boomerang angles (Fig. 10). 

worked to brand the structure and signal 

to passing motorists a desirable place to stop. When the 

station was a simple rectangular box, its signs were all the 

more important in attracting customers. 

Site. In addition to the main structure, historic gas station 

sites typically included free-standing signs, pump islands, 

driveways, parking areas, and landscape plantings. 

They may also have featured a detached repair garage 

(if it was not appended as the station's service bay), 

other outbuildings (for car washes and other services), 

storage sheds, and distinctive lighting units. Gas stations 

along highways and at rural crossroads were often part 

of a larger setting that was home to similarly-themed 

restaurants, general stores, and occasionally motor lodges, 

inns, or cabin courts. 

Maintenance 

The significance of a historic gas station is derived not 

just from its form and appearance but also its physical 

make-up of historic materials. The best preservation 

strategy is one of continual maintenance and repair that 

takes into consideration the historic character of these 

materials and forestalls more significant intervention. 

Regular maintenance helps preserve these materials and 

extends their useful life. Most of the materials found on 

historic gas stations, from slate, tile, and even composition 

roofs, to brick, concrete, stone and wood siding walls, are 

common to countless other older buildings. 

Whether dealing with a house, store, office, or gas station, 

a primary maintenance priority is to prevent unwanted 

water infiltration and the damage that can result. This 
includes making sure exterior joints in wood and 

masonry walls are properly sealed and that the roof is 

maintained. Gutters and downspouts should be cleaned 

regularly and kept in sound working condition. Another 

common maintenance principle especially relevant to 

gas stations is that historic building materials should 

be cleaned using the gentlest means possible. When 

considering chemical cleaners, first test the product's 

effect on a small inconspicuous location of the building. 

Harsh, abrasive cleaners should be avoided. Regular 

repainting of wood that is exposed to the weather, 

such as doors and windows is a well-established, costeffective maintenance principle. 

Box-type stations built between the 1930s and the 1960s 

were often finished with distinctive panels that deserve 

special attention. Porcelain enamel and structural glass 

wall panels originally offered the promise of durability 

and low maintenance as they purportedly were easily 

Figure 10. The canopies on this 1936 gas station in Shamrock, 

Texas, are both functional and integral features of the station's 

overall design. This building was recently converted for use by the 

local Chamber of Commerce, partially with FHWA Transportation 

Enhancements funding assistance. Photo: Mark Trew Photograpy. 

cleaned and never required repainting. However, 

these walls can be damaged by impact, harsh cleaning 

methods, and infrequent maintenance of the joints 

between panels. 

Repair 

As with maintenance procedures, the repair treatments 

prescribed for historic gas stations are in most respects 

the same as for any historic structure. Such work may 

include incidental repairs to fix weather or impact 

damage, or may be part of a larger rehabilitation 

project. (An overview of common repairs undertaken 

as part of a rehab project is also included in the 

Rehabilitation Considerations section of this 

Preservation Brief) Appropriate repairs to a historic gas 

station adhere to the following guidance. 

1) Deteriorated historic features should be repaired rather 

than replaced where possible. The historic integrity 

of a gas station is embodied not only in its design 

but also in its material. Whether exhibiting special 

craftsmanship, innovative uses of materials, or 

mass-produced products, the building fabric helps 

convey the history of the building. The visibility and 

significance of a building feature that is deteriorated 

will influence decisions as to repair or replacement. 

While repairing historic fabric is recommended over 

replacement, there are features such as flat composition 

roofs where visibility is not an issue and thus repair or 

replacement decisions can be based largely on service 

life, extent of deterioration, and cost. Alternately, a tile 

roof on a Mission Style station will be readily visible. 

The cost of replacing that deteriorated roof with tile 

may not be financially practical for a particular project 

and alternatives such as asphalt shingles will not 

match the historic appearance. Fortunately in most 

instances, tile roofs can be repaired and the service life 

of the historic roofing extended. 

2) Part of the character of any historic property is that 

it shows age. Small dents in tin ceilings and worn 

door edges are simply a reflection of use and often 

do not require intervention. A larger hole in a tin 

ceiling or a broken panel in a door can be corrected 

without replacing the historic fabric. Marine epoxy 

can be successfully used on metal ceilings to fill holes 

resulting from former light fixtures or ceiling fans, 

while a good carpenter can easily replace broken 

panels on a historic wood door. 

3) When undertaking repair work on a historic gas station, 

contractors or craftsmen experienced with historic materials 

and work on older buildings should be selected. From 

masonry rep ointing and tin ceiling repair to work 

involving more specialty material such as plastic 

molded panels and porcelain enamel and structural 

glass panels, selecting the right contractor will save 

money in the long run and more importantly will help 

insure that the work will be appropriately done. 

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Figure 11. The porcelain enamel facade of this former Texaco station 

(1960) had numerous dents and scratches that had exposed the 

steel beneath the enamel to deterioration (top). Rehabilitation work 

included repairing localized damage to the panels and blending 

patched areas to match adjacent historic material, replacing sleepers 

beneath the panels (center), replacing severely damaged panels 

with like material, and recaulking the joints (bottom). Photos: John 

Vaughan, Architectural Conservation Services. 

Porcelain enamel offers a good example of some of the 

problems and the level of skill and experience that may be 

required when repairing historic materials (Fig. 11). Spot 

repairs of damage (drill holes, impact damage) to these 

types of manufactured panels are challenging. Because 

the original glass-like finish was baked on at a high 

temperature, it is hard to adhere filler and paint to the 

enamel surface; blending new material with the original 

surface color is particularly difficult. The preferred, 

least intrusive, approach is to remove any rust, fill any 

depressions with a marine epoxy filler, prime, and repaint 

the surface with a high-quality glossy enamel. This paint 

coating will likely require a renewed treatment after some 

years. More severe damage may require replacement 

with a salvaged or newly fabricated panel. Where panels 

are loose or select ones need replacement, care should be 

taken during disassembly as they often are supported by 

an attachment system that requires a specific sequence of 

removal and reinstallation. 

Rehabilitation 

"Rehabilitation" is "the process of returning a property 

to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which 

makes possible an efficient contemporary use while 

preserving those portions and features of the property 

which are significant to its historic, architectural, and 

cultural values."2 Gas station operators may feel the need 

to upgrade their historic property to compete with newer 

stations. Or owners may stop selling gas and convert 

the site for traditional gas station reuse activities, from 

auto repair (exclusively) to used car sales. Some historic 

stations may be converted to an entirely new commercial, 

office, or other use. Photographs from the 1930s and 

40s show new businesses established in a variety of gas 

station types (Fig. 12). Rehabilitation projects with these 

three intended outcomes: continuing use, traditional 

reuse, and unrelated new use, in that order, generally call 

for increasing degrees of alteration of the historic station. 

Continuing Use. Historic gas stations are characterized 

not only by their architecture but also by their functionservicing automobiles and providing fuel for their use. 

Thus from a historic preservation perspective, retaining 

that function is nearly always the best use of a gas station. 

Continuing the same function can also reduce the need 

to alter the structure, and often avoid a host of issues 

encountered when introducing a new use. 

Gas station owners are engaged in a highly competitive 

business with considerable pressure to update, 

"modernize," and incorporate current marketing trends. 

Large franchises and petroleum suppliers have in recent 

years shown little interest in tradition and the historic 

qualities of older stations. However, an increasing 

number of individual owners of older stations have 

not only acknowledged the historic importance of their 

properties but have also taken steps to maintain and 
Figure 12. Gas stations have a long history of reuse (and 

abandonment and reuse again). By 1942 this gas station in Tulsa, 

OK, was already being reused as a bar. At one time the front 

island shed (on the left) functioned as a locksmith's shop but was 

vacant at the time of the photo. Photo: Library of Congress, Prints 

and Photographic Division, LC-USW3-9523-D. 

rehabilitate them in ways sensitive to the features that 

make them distinct (Fig. 13). Drawing upon customer 

loyalty, good service, and fair prices, as well as favorable 

locations, such operators have found successful ways to 

do business when faced with such potential limitations 

as small lot sizes, more traditional building interior 

plans, and a less flashy contemporary look. They 

help distinguish their businesses by using history as 

an attractive quality. Appealing to the nostalgia of 

consumers they retain old signs (in combination with 

necessary new signage) and emphasize good building 

maintenance as a reflection of good car maintenance. 

Even the continuing use of a gas station for its original 

function is accompanied by change-from periodic 

reworking of standardized petroleum signs to the 

current emphasis on larger canopies. Alterations are 

often the result of shifting relationships between station 

Figure 13. Essentially unchanged since its construction in 1950, 

this service station in Canisteo, NY, is currently owned and 

operated by the son of the original owner. Photo: Debra 

Jane Seltzer. 

operators and petroleum suppliers, shifts hastened 

by the trend to mega mergers among the petroleum 

industry and the rush to rebrand their station outlets. 

Accommodating larger sales areas, especially for 

food and carry-outs, has been a challenge confronting 

the operators of surviving historic stations. Various 

approaches have been used including placing an 

addition on a secondary elevation, or introducing an 

expanded sales area in one or more of the service bays. 

Traditional Reuse. As in the past, it is common for 

vacant gas stations to be adapted for use by car-related 

businesses. Such traditional reuses often require only 

minimal alterations to the building and site. When 

an owner decides to discontinue the sale of gasoline 

and concentrate on auto maintenance and repair using 

the existing service bays, the only requisite change 

may be to remove the pump island. Gas stations are 

easily converted to used car dealerships. The stations' 

lucrative corner lots provide parking space and visibility, 

and their existing sales areas are converted to office 

space with just a change in furnishings. A more recent 

trend has been for historic stations to be reused for car 

rental franchises, again requiring only modest changes 

to the existing structure. 

New Reuse. Historic gas stations have shown in the 

past to be attractive properties for new uses unrelated to 

automobiles. The combination of clearly-defined sales 

areas and larger, more open unfinished service bays 

make historic stations easily adaptable to a variety of 

functions. In many cases, their locations on intersections 

and along busy streets remain attractive for commercial 

use. They are often ideal, affordable sites for start-up 

businesses (Fig. 14). 

Successful rehabilitation projects have converted historic 

stations for use as restaurants, cafes, bakeries, medical 

supply stores, antique shops, visitor centers, and offices 

Figure 14. Abandoned gas stations make ideal homes for start-up 

businesses. In 1978 the first Ben and Jerry 's Scoop Shop opened 

in a converted station in Burlington, VT. Photo: Ben & Jerry's 

Homemade, Inc. 

9 
10 

Gas Station Restoration Projects 

A gas station restoration project depicts the form, 

features, and character of a building as it appeared 

at a particular period of time. Restorations involve 

removal of features from other periods in the 

station's history and reconstruction of missing 

features from the restoration period. The limited 

and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, 

and plumbing systems and other code-required 

work to make properties functional is appropriate 

within such a project. In recent years a number of 

gas stations have been restored for various uses. 

Occasionally, the property continues to operate as 

a gas station. It is increasingly popular to restore 

gas stations for use as museums or history centers, 

with exhibits on the station's history, the history of 

a local community or that of an important adjacent 

highway. Surviving remnants of historic roads 

like Route 66 feature gas stations bypassed by 

the interstate system that are now restored and 

patronized by tourists and the local community. 

These restored gas stations often become popular 

attractions and outdoor meeting places, especially 

for classic car fans and motorcycle enthusiasts. 

Depending on the new use, some restorations 

are complete down to the installation of historic 

(replica or rebuilt) pumps, signage, and even period 

products on the sales area shelves. Others have 

involved a physical restoration of the exterior and 

interior, but utilize the sales area as a museum or 

office for a local organization. 

This 1932 Standard Oil Filling Station, located on the 

original Route 66 in Odell, IL, was purchased by the town 

and restored by Odell Tourism and Commullity Development 

Board, the Route 66 Preservation Committee of Illillois and 

many other volunteers and contributors. It functiolls as a 

museum and visitor center. Photo: John and Lenore Weiss 

and the Route 66 Preservation Committee of Illinois. 

for local business organizations and non-profit groups. 

Service bays have been converted to art galleries, photo 

studios, seating areas for restaurants, and open office 

space. Some stations have even been rehabilitated 

for residential use. As gas stations are increasingly 

recognized as historically significant in their own right, 

the need to preserve important features of the historic 

design when adapting the property to new functions 

has received greater attention. 

Rehabilitation Considerations 

There are several considerations common to historic 

gas station rehabilitation projects regardless of whether 

the structure undergoes a change in use. Well-planned 

rehabilitation projects are built upon a documented 

understanding of the property's history combined 

with an assessment of its significant surviving historic 

features-some of which have been discussed in the 

Understanding Significance section. A rehabilitation 

should be designed so that it preserves the important 

characteristics of the gas station, and avoids damage or 

unnecessary removal of historic features or materials. 

Exterior. Retaining the form of a historic gas station is 

an important component of any preservation project. 

This is especially true of early shed stations and 

unusually-shaped programmatic designs that derive 

much of their significance from their form. The latter 

can be particularly difficult to alter sensitively without 

diminishing their historic significance. Throughout a 

rehabilitation project, modest structures should remain 

modest; box-shaped buildings should remain boxes, 

and extended, rectangular structures should retain 

their shape. 

On many larger gas stations it may be possible to 

construct a modest addition as part of a reuse project. 

Successful additions are appended to secondary 

elevations, preferably the rear. Such additions should 

be smaller and no taller than the existing structure, 

be compatible with the original gas station's shape, 

and be similar yet distinguishable from the historic 

construction. Enclosing the outside area beneath 

the canopy with solid or glazed walls as a means of 

obtaining additional interior space will significantly 

alter the character of the property and should not be 

undertaken. 

It is recommended that surviving historic roofs that 

are highly visible be repaired, and when necessary 

replaced, using the same material. In some cases, 

new roof products that accurately replicate the 

color, texture, shape, size, thickness, and profile of 

historic tiles and shingles may be suitable for use 

as replacements. Asphalt shingles are rarely an 

appropriate substitute for historic clay tiles or for slate 

or wood shingles where the roof is a distinctive feature 

of the building's design. An addition with a pitched 
roof would not be compatible with a historic flat-roofed 

Modernist or utilitarian structure. 

Sensitive rehabilitation projects favor historic window 

repair rather than replacement whenever possible. Gas 

station windows traditionally were made of wood, steel, 

and later, aluminum. Excepting sheet glass display 

windows, they usually featured operable sash. Wood 

and steel windows may require repair work beyond 

painting and reglazing. Repairs to damaged wood 

members (sill, frame, sash, or muntin) are typically 

undertaken by an experienced carpenter utilizing 

a wood dutchman or, where appropriate, through 

application of a wood epoxy treatment. Steel windows 

can often be repaired as well. It may be necessary to 

replace one or more windows either because they are too 

deteriorated to be repaired or because they are second 

generation windows that are incompatible with the 

building's historic character. A new stock window may 

be acceptable on a rear elevation provided the window is 

sized to fit the existing opening. Windows that require 

replacement on the front and prominent side elevations 

obviously require more attention to historic detail, 

carefully matching the design, shape, and appearance of 

the historic units. 

Doors to the sales office, service area, and restrooms 

entered from the outside were made of either wood or 

metal (steel and later aluminum). Methods for repairing 

historic doors again follow traditional carpentry or 

metalwork methods. Often the existing doors are not 

original. If they need to be replaced, new doors should 

be compatible with the historic character of the building. 

Where the historic door opening is not a standard size, a 

custom door can be made to fit rather than blocking the 

opening to fit a stock door (see the discussion of ADA 

requirements below). Key features of doors should be 

identified, including the ratio of glazing to solid material 

in the door; whether a door traditionally had panels or 

was glazed; whether a door exhibited certain features 

reflecting the building's specialty design, and the degree 

of setback within the opening. Fully glazed doors should 

not be replaced with stock paneled doors purchased at a 

home improvement store. 

If a historic door opening is no longer needed and the 

opening is on a main facade, either the existing door or 

a matching new one can be fixed in place. Since former 

restroom exterior doors tended to be on the side of the 

building, it may be possible to infill the opening in an 

appropriate manner. This is accomplished by recessing 

the new wall within the existing or new door frame (Fig. 

15). Avoid placing infill material flush with the exterior 

wall in a manner that would erase evidence of the 

former restroom door opening. 

Service bay doors are often among the most prominent 

features of a historic gas station. Except for the earliest 

versions, service bay doors typically featured a grid 

configuration of solid or glass panels. By the 1940s 

it was not uncommon for the glass panes used in 

Figure 15. The historic restroom door to the right of the display 

window was closed off (and entry provided on the inside) when this 

former gas station in Grand Rapids, MI was converted to a carry-out 

restaurant. A flush panel was recessed in the opening to identify the 

historic location of the door. Photo: M Buck Studios. 

these panels to extend in rows from the bottom to the 

top of the door. Where wood doors have survived, 

they can usually be repaired using regular carpentry 

methods, sometimes augmented by epoxy applications. 

Segmental overhead doors made of aluminum or steel 

were the most common service bay door type from the 

1930s on. If a historic overhead door survives it should 

be repaired whenever possible. If the existing service 

bay door is a later replacement that is compatible with 

the historic character of the building, there are the 

options of retaining or replacing it with one of a similar 

compatible design or with a reproduction of the historic 

door. For a further discussion of rehabilitation options, 

see the Service Bay Doors section on page 13. 

Interior. Every effort should be made to retain and, 

when necessary, repair historic interior features that 

characterize the gas station. A range of new functions 

can be accommodated within the historic form and 

interior layout without altering the overall character 

of the space. Some projects require no change to the 

interior. If a gas station is rehabilitated for continued use 

as a gas station or is reused for an auto detailing shop, 

for example, significant alteration to the interior may 

be unnecessary. Some new functions- satellite police 

stations, tourist offices, drive-thru coffee shops, and 

galleries-may also require only limited alteration of 

interior spaces (Fig. 16). Larger structures with service 

bays are easily adapted for retail and restaurant uses. 

Restaurants inserted into former gas stations often locate 

the kitchen and counter area where the sales and rear 

office area used to be; the service bays function as the 

dining room and are left undivided. Historic service 

bay doors can be retained and upgraded for energy 

conservation. If kept operable they can be opened in 

warm weather to provide the feel of outdoor dining. 

11 
12 

Another common reuse is to convert the 

station to offices. The original sales area 

becomes a reception room, private offices 

are located in the rear, and the former 

service bays are converted to an open plan 

office. It may even be possible to retain 

the original sales counter as a reception 

desk. 

The typical configuration of enclosed sales 

and office areas connected to larger, open 

service bays can accommodate a variety 

of new uses. In all cases, the distinction 

between the various historic interior 

spaces should be maintained and carried 

over to the new layout. If a particular 

reuse scheme requires extensive interior 

alteration, giving the space an entirely 

new character, it is likely that the new use 

is not appropriate for the historic building. 

When a rehabilitation is substantial or 

when the rehabilitated building will be 

Figure 16. A postwar Stylized Box-type station in Newport, RI, was rehabilitated and 

converted to an art gallery. The service bays (here showing side and rear walls) provide 

open gallery space while the small sales area (left) continues its historic retail function. 

open to the public, it may be necessary 

to make some alterations in order to comply with 

the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and local 

building code requirements. If the floor is uneven 

from room to room, as when the office or sales area 

steps down into the service bays, it may be necessary to 

install a ramp that slopes between the different grades. 

When the difference in height is only a few inches and 

the historic floors are nondescript, another approach 

may be to raise the entire lower floor to match the 

position of the higher level. 

Restrooms are commonly an area of concern when it 

comes to accessibility. Historic gas station restrooms 

are small and typically have door openings narrower 

than those specified in ADA guidelines. Where there 

are multiple toilet stalls, a solution is to remove one 

of the toilets and the partition to provide sufficient 

space. Another common technique is to convert two 

separate restrooms into a single unisex restroom (Fig. 

17). When two restrooms are converted to one, the 

women's exterior entrance is usually closed off and, if 

necessary, the interior doorway is widened. It may also 

be possible to construct new rest room space along 

the rear wall of the service bay or as a small addition 

on the rear elevation. This new construction should be 

designed to blend with the historic structure yet plainly 

read as a later addition. 

Canopies, Signs, and Site. Because canopies, if 

present, are central to the appearance and function 

of historic gas stations, it is important to retain and 

repair them. Canopies featuring wood or steel beams 

supported on wood, steel, or masonry piers are rarely 

difficult to repair. Cantilevered canopies without 

supports, however, may require more significant 

intervention where they are connected to the station. 

Insufficient reinforcement in the original construction 

and subsequent deterioration can cause the canopies to 

deflect and damage the main structure. Deteriorated 

canopies dating from the 1960s that feature custom 

plastic fascia panels may require replacement pieces 

molded to match the existing materials. Custom steel 

trusswork, either in the supporting pier or the canopy 

itself, if it is deteriorated beyond repair can be replicated 

with newly-fabricated members matching the existing 

features. It may be possible to replace missing canopies 

with new ones based on historic documentation (Fig. 18). 

Aggressive marketing, corporate standardization, 

frequent changes in suppliers, and frequent changes in 

use contribute to the ephemeral nature of gas station 

Station Plan Restroom Detail 

Before 

After After 

Figure 17. A plan of the same station shown in Figure 15, illustrates 

how the historic men's and women's rooms were combined to make a 

single accessible restroom. Drawing: Lott3Metz Architecture. 
Service Bay Doors 

The earliest service bay doors featured wood sliding, 

folding, or swinging panels. When such doors are 

appropriate but the historic panels are missing, door and 

millwork shops can create custom reproductions. Several 

manufacturers produce reproduction doors that operate 

as overhead doors, yet have the appearance of traditional 

folding doors with inconspicuous breaks in the 

horizontal sections and vertical shadow lines replicating 

the original panel configuration. As historic service 

bay doors were typically utilitarian in appearance, 

appropriate stock replacement doors are generally nondescript in design. 

Beginning in the 1930s stations increasingly used 

segmental overhead doors. Surviving doors can 

usually be retained and, if need be, upgraded as part 

of a rehabilitation. It may be possible to replace the 

existing single-glazed panels with insulated glazing 

and wood panels with insulated panels while retaining 

the original door structure. Such treatments may be 

particularly necessary when the former service bays are 

used as offices or dining spaces. Fixing a historic door 

in place is preferable to enclosing the opening with new 

construction. 

If a historic sectional door is deteriorated beyond repair, 

a replacement should be selected that matches the 

materials, panel profile, glazing configuration, and visual 

characteristics of the historic door. New overhead doors 

are generally available through commercial sectional 

door manufacturers. Because contemporary doors can be 

custom ordered with a variety of glazing configurations, 

it is relatively easy to match the appearance of a 

particular historic service bay door. Today's sectional 

doors are often made of inner and outer layers with 

an inner core of insulation. Contemporary aluminum 

door construction differs little from historic units-the 

primary distinction being a tendency in today's units to 

have narrower rails and muntins. 

If the historic door does not survive, a replacement 

in keeping with the form typical of the building 

construction, style, and period should be selected. 

Replacement doors with raised panels or decorative 

glazing should generally be avoided as they present 

an appearance at odds with the basic flat panels 

common on historic service bay doors. 

Existing 

Proposed 

DDDDDD 

This 1938 concrete block gas station featured a pair of wood 

multi-light segmental service bay doors (top). When the station 

was converted to a coffee shop the service bays were reused 

as a dining area. The doors were fixed in place and a door for 

customers was introduced in the right opening in a manner that 

retained the original light configuration (above). To increase the 

thermal properties of the service bay doors, the single pane glass 

was removed and replaced with insulating glass (below). The 

appearance of the door is virtually unchanged and the building 

retains its historic character. Drawings courtesy Robert Olin, 

Sherman Perk. 

Modifying Overhead Door Mullions 

EXISTING WOOD 

OVERHEAD DOOR 

MULLION ~ 

EXISTING QUARTERROUND WOOD STOP 

EXISTING GLAZED 

PANEL OR WOOD ~ 

PANEL --........... 

Interior 

1-3/4" 3/4" INSULATED GLAZING 

OR INSULATED OPAQUE PANEL ~ 

JOINT TYPICAL 

AT HORIZONTAL 

MULLIONS 

Exterior 

QUARTER-ROUND ____ 

WOOD STOP 

3/4" PAINT GRADE / 

FINISH PLYWOOD 

GLUED AND SCREWED 

TO BACKSIDE OF 

EXISTING DOOR 

Interior 

JOINT TYPICAL 

AT HORIZONTAL 

MULLIONS 

COUNTER SUNK 

WOOD SCREWS 

Exterior 

13 
14 

Figures 18. The canopy of the 1920s Spruce Street Station in Ogallala, NE, was an important feature that contributed to the building's character 

(left). When recently purchased for rehabilitation the canopy had long since disappeared (center). Using photographic and physical evidence, the 

canopy was reconstructed to match the building's original appearance (right). The station currently functions as a Main Street program office, 

a visitor center (on Nebraska's Western Trails Historic and Scenic Byway as well as Lincoln Highway Scenic Byway), meeting room, and public 

restroom facility. Photo: Ogallala Main Street. 

signage. Still, historic signs occasionally survive a gas 

station's varied past and remain on buildings slated for 

rehabilitation. Depending on the gas station's new use, 

signs may be retained as part of a rehabilitation project. 

When historic signs are missing, check attics, basements, 

and other storage areas around the site to see if earlier 

signs may have been removed but not discarded. 

There are often ways of retaining some elements of a 

station's historic signage. However, if logos are still 

in use by an existing oil company or remain under 

trademark protection it may be necessary to remove the 

signs in question. Where the historic signs are missing, 

replacement signs (available from collectors and dealers 

in "petroliana") can in some cases be used instead. 

However, the installation of vintage signs not directly 

related to the original structure should be approached 

with caution and based on research that identifies 

similar signage used on the building in the past. 

Designs for affixing new signage to either a stillfunctioning gas station or one being adapted for a new 

use should not damage or conceal the structure's historic 

features and finishes. Anchoring the sign in masonry 

joints, for example, facilitates a secure connection and 

allows for eventual removal of the sign without affecting 

the stone, brick, or porcelain enamel finishes. Attaching 

signs onto or over cornices, moldings, window 

surrounds, or other decorative features can usually be 

avoided. 

During any rehabilitation project, especially when a 

new function is introduced, care needs to be taken to 

maintain the relationship between the structures and 

features characteristic of a particular historic gas station 

landscape. If a site includes two distinct structures, a 

sales area and separate repair garage for example, it 

would be inappropriate to physically join them with a 

new hyphen as part of the rehabilitation. Historic light 

poles and other lighting fixtures that are part of the gas 

station's design should be retained. Surviving pump 

islands, if not removed as part of the project, should be 

retained in situ rather than moved to another place on 

the site where they were never located historically. The 

historic ratio of paved area to plantings and flowerbeds 

should be maintained at a reasonable level. Extensive 

grass, shrubbery, and other plantings inserted into 

a rehabilitated gas station site can obscure the main 

building's original function and historic context. 

Summary 

From their arrival a century ago, gas stations have 

been among the most underappreciated American 

architectural forms. This was due in part because of 

their utilitarian function and their intrusion into quiet 

residential neighborhoods. Yet the history of gas station 

architecture is richly varied, incorporating popular 

trends, unique programmatic designs, and well-known 

examples of corporate branding. Gas stations were 

designed to attract attention and lure customers with 

bold, contemporary themes or to blend in with the 

surrounding neighborhood relying on forms derivative 

of residential design. Historic gas stations ranged from 

one-room sheds to rectangular structures with sales 

areas and service bays to elaborate one-stop complexes 

that include restaurants and lodging. 

When a gas station is rehabilitated today, it is important 

that its style, form, exterior appearance, interior layout, 

and site be assessed as to how they contribute to its 

historic character. Significant features and design 

elements should be retained during rehabilitation or 

restoration work (Fig. 19). When sensitively maintained 

or when rehabilitated for new uses, gas stations can 

continue to contribute to a local economy and provide 

important services to local residents. As a unique 

building type, historic gas stations will continue as 

reminders of earlier eras when the automobile was still 

something of a novelty, or when every tank of gas came 

with an oil check and a cleaned windshield. 
Environmental Issues 

The us Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated 

in 2004 that there were at least 200,000 abandoned vacant 

sites with petroleum contamination in the United States, 

most of which are gas stations. Since the advent of 

dedicated gas stations, fuel has been stored beneath the 

ground, usually in steel tanks. Some stations, particularly 

those that included service bays, may also have buried 

tanks for waste oils, lift reservoirs, and other petroleum 

products. Corroded and leaking underground storage 

tanks (USTs) can contaminate soil, surface water, and 

ground wa ter. 

Over the past two decades, many older USTs have been 

removed or permanently closed. State environmental 

departments with support from the EPA provide UST 

regulation, guidance, and funding assistance. Most 

states have offices that deal specifically with UST 

issues and projects. Prospective gas station purchasers 

should coordinate with state and local programs to 

determine site-specific cleanup requirements and to 

secure appropriate "ready for reuse," or "RfR" technical 

determinations, such as "no further action notices" and 

"letters of intended use." 

Assessment and Remediation. Where leaking tanks 

remain, assessments are made to determine the extent 

of the release. Based on the proposed end-use an 

appropriate remediation plan is developed that includes 

tank repair, removal, or closure along with the necessary 

cleanup. If the site is to remain a gas station, tanks can 

sometimes be repaired by qualified profeSSionals using 

standard industry practices. A program of testing is 

required after repairs are made to ensure that the tank 

does not continue to leak. 

Projects where the new use does not require USTs may 

call for closure or removal of the existing tank. To 

permanently close a UST the appropriate regulatory 

agency must be notified beforehand; all liquids, sludge, 

and dangerous vapor levels must be removed from the 

tank; the tank must be filled with an inactive solid like 

sand, and any necessary site assessment and remedial 

action must be undertaken. Removal involves taking 

the tank from the ground, mitigating soil or water 

contamination and infilling the site. In some cases, 

depending on the proposed new use, returning the soil 

100% to its pre-contamination state may not be required. 

Economic Revitalization. In addition to environmental 

damage, the continuing presence of leaking USTs 

dampens investor interest in reusing historic stations, 

hinders financing such projects, and perpetuates 

the existence of abandoned sites that can suppress 

nearby property values and development. In recent 

years states have moved beyond just cleaning up and 

closing underground storage tanks to explore effective 

ways of integrating these activities with broader 

plans for economic redevelopment of gas station sites. 

Municipalities are fostering collaborations with developers 

and investors interested in specific gas station sites that 

tie assistance with environmental remediation into a 

broader plan for neighborhood revitalization. Although it 

is still common for orphan gas stations to be demolished 

as part of a UST project, the number of site clean-ups that 

have included rehabilitating the existing station for a new 

function has increased. 

Funding Opportunities. Depending on the state, 

there may be direct or indirect funding opportunities 

targeting gas station clean up. Some programs offer 

site assessment grants, direct cleanup grants, funds for 

communities to establish low-interest revolving loans, and 

grants to purchase insurance against future unforeseen 

remediation costs. Some states and municipalities offer 

tax credits, abatements, and other tax incentives to offset 

cleanup costs. Twenty-five percent of the annual federal 

Brownfields allocation is directed towards "eligible 

petroleum Brownfields sites." 

Figure 19. When converted for use as office and meeting space by a local community non-profit, the historic character of this 1960s gas station was 

retamed. Porcelam enamel repazrs to this station are illustrated in Figure 11. Photo: Scott Lapham Photography. 

15 
16 

Endnotes 

1 JakIe, John A. and Sculle, Keith A. The Gas Station in 

America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 

1994. In a 1978 journal article, expanded upon in this 

definitive book, cultural geographer John JakIe identified 

a gas station typology referenced in most subsequent gas 

station histories. It is adapted in the Historic Gas Station 

Types section of this Preservation Brief 

2 The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of 

Historic Properties. Washington, D.C: U.S. Department 

of the Interior, National Park Service, 1995. 

Acknowledgements 

Selected Reading 

Halda, Bonnie J., Preservation Tech Notes, "Doors Number 

I, Historic Garage and Carriage Doors: Rehabilitation 

Solutions" Washington, D.C, National Park Service, 

1989. 

Jester, Thomas C, ed. Twentieth Century Building 

Materials: History and Conservation. New York: McGrawHill,1995. 

Liebs, Chester H. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American 

Roadside Architecture. Boston: Little, Brown and 

Company, 1985. 

Preservation Briefs. Washington, D.C: u.s. Department 

of the Interior, National Park Service. The collection 

of Preservation Briefs assist owners and developers of 

historic buildings in recognizing and resolving common 

preservation and repair problems prior to work. 

The author wishes to thank the following for their assistance in the preparation and review of this brief: John JakIe, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; John Vaughan, Architectural Conservation Services; Alison Oswald, Archives 

Center, Smithsonian Institution; Robert Olin, Sherman Perk; Robert Gamble and Melanie Betz, Alabama Historical Commission; Steven McNeely, Office of Underground Storage Tanks, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Kaisa Barthuli, Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, National Park Service. Thanks also go to the following Technical Preservation 

Services staff of the National Park Service: Sharon Park, FAIA, Anne Grimmer, Michael Auer, Elizabeth Creveling, and 

Lauren Van Damme. Charles E. Fisher, Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service, was the technical editor for 

this publication project. 

Front cover image: American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Film Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of 

American History, Smithsonian Institution. 

This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, which directs the 

Secretary of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic properties. Comments about 

this publication should be directed to: Charles Fisher, Technical Publications Program Manager, Technical Preservation 

Services, National Park Service (org. 2255), 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. Additional information offered by 

Technical Preservation Services is available through our website at www.nps.govlhistorylhps/tps.This publication is not 

copyrighted and can be reproduced without penalty. Normal procedures for credit to the author and the National Park 

Service are appreciated. Unless otherwise indicated, photographs are by the author. Excepting the author's photos, the 

photographs used in this publication may not be used to illustrate other publications without permission of the owners. 

ISBN: 978-0-16-081507-2 

U.S. Government Printing Office Stock Number: 024-005-01264-8 September 2008