Service Stations: They Don’t Design Them Like They Used To
I’m continually repulsed by generic gas stations that are commonplace today yet I find those from an earlier time so appealing.
Look at the solid masonry construction, nicely varied. Yes, the building is pushed back on the lot but at least the lot isn’t huge.
With all the cars on the road it would take a ton of these sized stations to meet demand. Still it seems odd that our 1940 population was over 816,000 people and we managed with fewer gas pumps than today with half a million less residents.
 – Steve Patterson
Another great example of this era service station is the one at 12th & Gravois in Soulard. Owned and renovated by the Soulard Restoration Group (Neighborhood Association) for use for community meetings and gatherings. The award winning gardens replaced the pumps and are maintained by volunteers of the organization.Â
Another great example of this era service station is the one at 12th & Gravois in Soulard. Owned and renovated by the Soulard Restoration Group (Neighborhood Association) for use for community meetings and gatherings. The award winning gardens replaced the pumps and are maintained by volunteers of the organization.
The photo didn’t show in the remarks – to see a photo of the building go to http://soulard.org/SoulardStation.php
The photo didn’t show in the remarks – to see a photo of the building go to http://soulard.org/SoulardStation.php
I don’t find it odd that we would need more gas stations with less population. I’m sure a lot less of that population drove cars, or even owned them. People walked more, because things were closer, i.e. the corner store, too.
I don’t find it odd that we would need more gas stations with less population. I’m sure a lot less of that population drove cars, or even owned them. People walked more, because things were closer, i.e. the corner store, too.
Doubtful. In 1925 175,350 people entered downtown’s CBD through transit. By 1950 this declined to 115,000 people. In 1925 98,400 people entered the CBD by car which increased to 165,000 by 1950. Today it’s possible to find a gas station almost every few blocks. This is not the case in similar cities. New Orleans has far fewer gas stations and they seem to manage.
St. Louis has so many gas stations because land is cheap enough to develop, we don’t have regulations that limit that land use, and some people probably think it creates jobs. The impacts are obvious: St. Louis isn’t very walkable outside its neighborhoods due to suburbanized arterial roads. Which really means it’s not very walkable at all.
If you believe in the concept of creative cities then walkability is important from an economic development perspective and providing gas stations, for a declining population, everywhere is not.
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/10/why-walkable-cities-arent-always-the-ones-you-think/279/
Your stats show a consistent 275,000 – 280,000 people entering downtown between 1925 and 1950 (by both car and transit). What do your stats say about 1975, 2000 and 2010? And do you have any stats that show that the total number of stations has grown significantly? My understanding is that the industry is consolidating, for both economic and regulatory reasons, with larger (but fewer) stations replacing many of the smaller ones. My guess is that it’s not so much that the contemporary stations are located on our corners (they pretty much always have been), it’s that they’re so much bigger, with massive canopies and bright lights that weren’t a part of the “old” station vocabulary.
As for walkability, I really don’t see contemporary gas station mini-marts as being any more detrimental than contemporary supermarkets, chain drugstores or fast-food restaurants. The bigger challenge for walkability is simply the decrease in density / increase in distances that comes from having cars available (as an alternative to walking) – instead of thinking in blocks, we start thinking in miles and exits. Most of us don’t want to walk more than a half mile; even fewer of us want to walk a mile or more. It has little to do the physical design of the walking environment, it has a lot to do with our own physical limitations and not much mixed use where many of us live.
I agree with this. If you look back and just ask some of the aldermen that know. The city was dotted with many, many more of these ‘charming little gas stations’ in our neighborhoods. I would say there are probably fewer now in number, but they are larger and primarily clustered on major thoroughfares.
You may be “repulsed by the generic gas stations that are commonplace today”, but where do you buy your gas?! Money talks. Do you seek out these relics, the few still-functioning ones? Or do you, like most people, just look for the lowest price? The Quiktrips and the BP’s of today are a natural evolution, where the corner grocery has added gas pumps, while the service and repair part of the equation has spun off as a separate business model, many times still using these small neighborhood structures. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the architecture and the craftsmanship in these old structures, but do you really expect the world to go back to a business model of quaint structures with two or three pumps and one or two service bays? We get the world we support financially, and this is one example where people are voting for 24 pumps and a mini-mart!
You may be “repulsed by the generic gas stations that are commonplace today”, but where do you buy your gas?! Money talks. Do you seek out these relics, the few still-functioning ones? Or do you, like most people, just look for the lowest price? The Quiktrips and the BP’s of today are a natural evolution, where the corner grocery has added gas pumps, while the service and repair part of the equation has spun off as a separate business model, many times still using these small neighborhood structures. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the architecture and the craftsmanship in these old structures, but do you really expect the world to go back to a business model of quaint structures with two or three pumps and one or two service bays? We get the world we support financially, and this is one example where people are voting for 24 pumps and a mini-mart!
I never look for the lowest price, I buy so little gas a few cents doesn’t matter. I do go for the smaller stations most of the time, but I buy from QT too.
No, but the City does not need to sacrifice the corners of major intersections to land uses which have contributed to its decline. Or have gas stations every half mile. Imagine if the City was able to make transit as accessible as it is to purchase gas! But no that’s not happening.
St. Louis is not growing outside downtown. If it wants to change that it should try to plan for land uses that bring people back not make it easier for them to leave.
I never look for the lowest price, I buy so little gas a few cents doesn’t matter. I do go for the smaller stations most of the time, but I buy from QT too.
Doubtful. Â In 1925 175,350 people entered downtown’s CBD through transit. By 1950 this declined to 115,000 people. Â In 1925 98,400 people entered the CBD by car which increased to 165,000 by 1950. Â Today it’s possible to find a gas station almost every few blocks. Â This is not the case in similar cities. Â New Orleans has far fewer gas stations and they seem to manage. Â
St. Louis has so many gas stations because land is cheap enough to develop, we don’t have regulations that limit that land use, and some people probably think it creates jobs. Â The impacts are obvious: St. Louis isn’t very walkable outside its neighborhoods due to suburbanized arterial roads. Â Which really means it’s not very walkable at all. Â
If you believe in the concept of creative cities then walkability is important from an economic development perspective and providing gas stations, for a declining population, everywhere is not. Â
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/10/why-walkable-cities-arent-always-the-ones-you-think/279/Â Â Â
There are also ones at Kingshighway & Eichelberger (apparently slated to become a gourmet hot dog place from an American Legion post), Bates & Morganford, and a larger one on S. Grand which I seem to recall is clad in bakery brick. The one at Kingshighway & Eichelberger is also across the street from a still-functioning, small service and repair shop.
There are also ones at Kingshighway & Eichelberger (apparently slated to become a gourmet hot dog place from an American Legion post), Bates & Morganford, and a larger one on S. Grand which I seem to recall is clad in bakery brick. The one at Kingshighway & Eichelberger is also across the street from a still-functioning, small service and repair shop.
No, but the City does not need to sacrifice the corners of major intersections to land uses which have contributed to its decline.  Or have gas stations every half mile.  Imagine if the City was able to make transit as accessible as it is to purchase gas!  But no that’s not happening. Â
St. Louis is not growing outside downtown. Â If it wants to change that it should try to plan for land uses that bring people back not make it easier for them to leave. Â
There are quite a few of them scattered through town. Those that saw the potential and saved them. There is one on Carondelet near Gravois, a few on the Hill, some in TGE and TGS. They are great buildings which make many uses. It is sad that they don’t make them like this anymore, and it has nothing to do with over regulations and such. So few offer car repairs now, that they can’t make it on gas alone. On another note While in upstate New York recently, we pulled in for gas…..before we got out, the attendant was asking us how much and what type! Wowser…forgot what that was like.
There are quite a few of them scattered through town. Those that saw the potential and saved them. There is one on Carondelet near Gravois, a few on the Hill, some in TGE and TGS. They are great buildings which make many uses. It is sad that they don’t make them like this anymore, and it has nothing to do with over regulations and such. So few offer car repairs now, that they can’t make it on gas alone. On another note While in upstate New York recently, we pulled in for gas…..before we got out, the attendant was asking us how much and what type! Wowser…forgot what that was like.
I love those little buildings. Â I’ve always liked antique cars, and I thought it would be fun to have a live-in garage. Â I’ve seen only a handful of these stand-alone stations turned into homes. Â
I love those little buildings. I’ve always liked antique cars, and I thought it would be fun to have a live-in garage. I’ve seen only a handful of these stand-alone stations turned into homes.
Your stats show a consistent 275,000 – 280,000 people entering downtown between 1925 and 1950 (by both car and transit). What do your stats say about 1975, 2000 and 2010? And do you have any stats that show that the total number of stations has grown significantly? My understanding is that the industry is consolidating, for both economic and regulatory reasons, with larger (but fewer) stations replacing many of the smaller ones. My guess is that it’s not so much that the contemporary stations are located on our corners (they pretty much always have been), it’s that they’re so much bigger, with massive canopies and bright lights that weren’t a part of the “old” station vocabulary.
As for walkability, I really don’t see contemporary gas station mini-marts as being any more detrimental than contemporary supermarkets, chain drugstores or fast-food restaurants. The bigger challenge for walkability is simply the decrease in density / increase in distances that comes from having cars available (as an alternative to walking) – instead of thinking in blocks, we start thinking in miles and exits. Most of us don’t want to walk more than a half mile; even fewer of us want to walk a mile or more. It has little to do the physical design of the walking environment, it has a lot to do with our own physical limitations and not much mixed use where many of us live.
A similar looking building in CWE (newstead and laclede) is occupied by a BP. I almost exclusively go there to get gas. Sure its a BP but atleast one that has shown respect to a piece of St Louis history
A similar looking building in CWE (newstead and laclede) is occupied by a BP. I almost exclusively go there to get gas. Sure its a BP but atleast one that has shown respect to a piece of St Louis history
This is a very cool building. It sits across the street from the Third Degree Glass Factory (which is itself in what I have been told is an old auto dealership). I’ve taken many photos of this old gas station.
This is a very cool building. It sits across the street from the Third Degree Glass Factory (which is itself in what I have been told is an old auto dealership). I’ve taken many photos of this old gas station.
I agree with this. If you look back and just ask some of the aldermen that know. The city was dotted with many, many more of these ‘charming little gas stations’ in our neighborhoods. I would say there are probably fewer now in number, but they are larger and primarily clustered on major thoroughfares.Â