Gardner and Tinsley Filling Station - New Cambria MO
Posted by: 
PeterNoG
N 39° 45.590 W 092° 43.216
15S E 523961 N 4401138
This NRHP building is on Decal Place southeast of New Cambia, Missouri.
Waymark Code: WMN9GQ
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/25/2015
Views: 6
According to the Nomination papers, this building (with an attached corrugated metal shed) was located just south of US Hwy 36 and MO Hwy 149 on Old US Hwy 36. It is now located (without the shed) at the end of Decal Place (possibly an abandoned section of Old US Hwy 36), 1 1/2 miles east of the former location.
~ from a waymarking log (visit link) ~This was one of the first stations west of the Mississippi and was originally located on top of the hill at the New Cambria junction. Possibly the first in the state in that area outside of any major towns. It was slated to be torn down for new Highway construction and moved to its current location by Tony Levett the owner, where it was restored to its original colors and used as a clubhouse for street rod enthusiasts and family.
~ paraphrased from the NRHP Nomination Papers (visit link) ~Summary: The Gardner & Tinsley Filling Station is a one room single story Bungaloid style gasoline station with a drive-under canopy that was constructed in 1931. The building exemplifies Vieyra's "Domestic" category of filling stations with its familiar, comfortable styling. With the new paint job, the station appears much as it did in 1931 when it opened for business. It retains its original siding, windows, doors and styling.
The building housed a Shell gas station operated by R. L. Tinsley that is representative of the growth of motoring during the Great Depression, the World War Two years and beyond. The rural station was constructed during the period of the greatest gasoline station building boom. Bungalow styling was used, giving the station a sufficiently "Domestic" look to suggest the comforts of home to highway travelers and, to any neighbors, a building style with which they were familiar. The location was well chosen for a new gas station. Highway 36 had recently been completed across Missouri and was predicted to be a primary east-west artery across the nation. Thousands of travelers as well as local customers from nearby New Cambria provided the station's business.
Elaboration: The north-facing front facade displays a centered wooden front door with three horizontal panels in the lower portion and a glass pane above West of the door is a pair of tall, narrow, vertically divided 3/1 double- hung windows, positioned off-center in the wall closer to the door. East of the door is a smaller single pane window nearly centered between the door and building corner. The front and original portions of the east and west exterior walls are clad with weatherboard siding. The building has 1x4 flat trim around the window and door openings and as corner boards. The front is about 17 feet wide. Projecting about 13 feet north from the front wall of the station's front office room is its drive-under canopy. Two square, tapered wooden columns support the canopy. One column was repaired at some time by replacing the lower four feet with a concrete pier that supports the upper portion, which matches its original twin on the east. The columns are at the extreme northeast and northwest corners of the canopy framework. Roof rafters are exposed under the canopy's hip roof. This hip roof covers the original station building, the front office/sales room and the canopy. The 11 1 /2 -foot wide west wall of the original station has a nearly centered, slightly off-set to the south, 3/1 double- hung window. The south wall was mostly hidden by a corrugated metal shed which was not included in the move to the new location. On the east, the original weatherboard sided wall has a 1/1 double-hung window which is slightly off-set to the north. The chimney was also not moved. The interior is very utilitarian, clad with quarter-inch composite board. Openings are trimmed with 1x4 plain boards.