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The world's first purpose-built gas station was constructed in St. Louis, Missouri in 1905. As demand increased for a more convenient means to "fill up", gas stations became more common in the US, Canada and around the world.
Vintage Gas Stations have distinguishable characteristics, including, but not necessarily limited to the following:
"Shed-Type Stations: Detached structures built specifically for the sale of gasoline.
House-Type Stations: In the 1920s, new stations were built on spacious and prominent sites, usually established in residential neighborhoods.
Programmatic Stations: (whimsical)
During the 1920s and 1930s and continuing after World War II, some gas stations showed the fanciful shape of animals, apples, tea kettles, tepees, windmills, castles, icebergs, and airplanes
Box-Type Stations: In the early 1930s, box-style stations blended Art Moderne featuring; flat-roofs and unadorned exteriors of stucco, terra cotta, porcelain enamel steel, or structural glass panels.
Stylized Boxes Stations: After World War II, the Stylized Boxes Stations is a modern variation of the existing box stations (described above). The stations incorporated 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.
Understanding Significance
Although form and decoration vary, most historic gas stations share a number of features. 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 a particular structure, such as a custom roof design or circular plan. Some features were unusual when first adopted, later became unexceptional. An example is the V-shaped canopy found on Postwar Phillips 66 gas stations."
Excerpts from: National Park Service
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Rustic |
House Style |
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Art Moderne |
Stylized Box |
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Programmatic |
Shed Style |
Thank you Keith for providing this photo gallery.
Update: August 11, 2020
Vintage Gas Stations category is looking for any gas station built in the US and Canada prior to 1970.
All other countries, an exception may be made to include Vintage Gas Stations prior to 1980. These will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
ALL Vintage Gas Stations submitted to this category must be recognizable as a gas station, with distinguishable characteristics and be at least 85% complete.
This category will no longer accept crumbling, deteriorated or heaps of debris as a gas station.)
Requirements for Posting a Vintage Gas Stations have changed with additional requirements. (please read the new requirements carefully)
Any approved Vintage Gas Station that do not meet any/or all new requirements will be grandfathered.