Jefferson Zephyr Station - St. Charles, MO - Vintage Gas Stations on Waymarking.com

County of building: St. Charles County
Location of building: N 5th St. & Jefferson St., St. Charles
Built: 1973
Architect: Unknown
Architectural Style: Rectangular Station
Original Occupant: Wetter Zephyr Gas Station

"Built: 1973 ca.
Style/Design: Rectangular Service Station
The city’s address files indicate that the 1893-1900 house was demolished in 1969. According to the county parcels database, the current building was built in 1970. However, it is more likely that it was built circa 1973 since the address is listed as vacant in the 1970 city directory and the address is not listed at all in the 1971 and 1972 directories. It was listed in the 1973-74 directory as Jefferson Zephyr Station, a large Standard Oil service station and garage. It was still the Jefferson Zephyr Station in 1977. It is currently in use by Yellow Cab. Since it was built after the period of significance of the historic district, it is identified as noncontributing to the historic district.

"This large, side gabled, light beige brick service garage has a service bay, gable roofed canopy that extends from the main roof of the garage (which is nearly centered on the lot) to the street to the east. The canopy is supported at the outer corners by large square columns. The gable end of the north half of the east elevation above the two plate glass windows as well as the north elevation walls are made of vertical board siding. On the east elevation, there are brick piers and brick half walls below the plate glass windows. South of the southernmost brick pier is a slightly recessed doorway with a full light wood framed door. The south half of this elevation is all brick. The underside of the gabled canopy roof has its exposed wood beams piercing the east wall as well as the exposed wood board roof decking. On the north elevation, there are five bays, four of which have simple plate glass windows, and the westernmost bay is an overhead garage door. The south and west elevations are also brick. On the west elevation there are small beam extensions supporting the gabled roof overhang and the brick wall is unadorned. On the south elevation there are two overhead doors, the one on the west is an original 12-light metal framed door and the other door is a replacement metal paneled door. The bay to the east has two paneled doors to the restrooms. The east elevation plate glass windows have been replaced with the openings partially infilled and smaller paired plate glass windows installed. The plate glass windows on the north elevation appear to be replacements and may actually be infill in what was originally garage door bays.
  Although this is not a contributing building in the historic district and is not old enough to be considered for individual listing in the National Register either, it is an interesting period piece, one that seems to be a relatively intact example of 1970s architectural design features applied to a service station.

"Although this lot was historically a private residence, the house was demolished in 1969 and the lot was paved around the service station that was built in 1970." ~ St. Charles Historic Survey  Phase I, PDF pages 218-221