Texaco Station (Historic) - Kirkwood, MO - Vintage Gas Stations on Waymarking.com

County of station: St. Louis County
Location of building: Kirkwood Rd & Jefferson St., Kirkwood
Built: 1929
Architectural Style: False Mansard

"200-202 N. Kirkwood Road. Texaco Service Station. ca. 1929. Architect, unknown. Contractor, unknown. Non-contributing.
There was a Texaco service station on this property as early as 1932, operated by different individuals through 1953, but in 1922 there was a listing for Kirkwood Battery Service and Kirkwood Building and Loan at this address and Lugstras Cleaners in 1928. Since the service station was a Texaco facility, it is most likely that a purpose built station was finished (replacing another building or these other entries reflect address number changes and were actually located in the neighboring building), probably around 1929 (before the depression hit). In 1930s photos of Kirkwood Road, the freestanding Texaco sign is clearly visible. The city records show plans as well as a building permit in 1954 to alter the existing building for this Velvet Freeze Store which was an ice cream store through the 1980s. These plans were prepared by Brueger and McGuire Associates, with Frank McGuire listed as the architect and Spencer-Dickinson as the builder. Even so, the main service station design is still clearly visible, despite a large mansard that has been added recently and the building is vacant. Without this mansard, this building would be contributing to the district since its retail history is closely tied to the early twentieth century developments, both the rising use of the automobile, and the later fascination of St. Louisans with ice cream. " ~ NRHP Nomination Form

"200-202 N. Kirkwood Road. Texaco Service Station. ca. 1929. Architect, unknown. Contractor, unknown. Non-contributing.
The Velvet Freeze Store is a one story painted brick one story building with a nonhistoric false mansard style shingle roof that obscures the upper facade. The awning was installed prior to 1988 since it shows in the survey photo, but other alterations have occurred to the main façade including the enclosure of the old garage bay as a wall and new windows framed in the middle and south bays. The building has a large window facing the street and another large plate glass window at the entry, with a door and wide sidelight, all aluminum framed. Without the mansard awning, it is possible that the building would retain enough integrity to be contributing to the district since other alterations appear to be restricted to infills within original bay openings, some of which may date from its long use as an ice cream shop, starting in 1954 The building is recessed in the lot because it was originally a gas station and the front portion is paved in asphalt." ~ NRHP Nomination Form