Standard Oil
Pontiac, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Pontiac is home to another classic Standard Oil station featuring the familiar house-style design that made these buildings so recognizable across the Midwest. While many were demolished or heavily altered over the years, this one still looks very much like the Standard stations motorists would have pulled into generations ago. 02-07

Beginning in the 1920s, Standard Oil built stations like this to look more like neighborhood buildings than industrial service stations. The steep roof, compact layout, and drive-through canopy gave customers a comfortable, familiar place to stop for fuel while helping the station fit naturally into the surrounding streetscape.

Today, stations like this are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Even without the original pumps or signs, the building itself is a reminder of a time when oil companies put as much thought into architecture as they did their advertising.

UPDATE: The exact location of this station in Pontiac has not been verified, so its current status is uncertain. Historic references indicate the building survived after its years as a service station, but I could not verify whether it still stands today. 06-26

Standard Oil
Sturgis, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

This old Standard Oil station in Sturgis is another great survivor from the early days of the automobile. Although it no longer pumps gas, the building remains intact and, when these photos were taken, was home to Action Glass. It's always nice to see these old stations find a new purpose instead of disappearing altogether. 02-07

Built in 1923 along historic Chicago Road (U.S. 12), the station features the familiar house-style design Standard Oil used throughout much of the Midwest. These buildings were designed to blend into their surroundings and project a sense of permanence at a time when automobile travel was still relatively new.

Like many former service stations, this one adapted as times changed. While the pumps and service bays gave way to a different business, the building itself remained a recognizable piece of Sturgis history. It's another reminder that some of the most interesting roadside landmarks don't have to be restored museums to be worth noticing.

UPDATE: Since these photos were taken, the former Standard Oil station has been restored and now serves as the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. The historic building remains one of the best-preserved early Standard Oil stations in southern Michigan. 06-26

Amoco - Standard Oil (Demolished)
Dearborn, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

This old Amoco station in Dearborn began life as a Standard Oil station before later being updated with Amoco branding. Like many longtime service stations, it reflected the changing identity of one of America's best-known oil companies. Unfortunately, the station was demolished in 2006. 02-07

For decades, Standard Oil stations were familiar sights throughout the Midwest. As the company gradually adopted the Amoco name and image, many existing stations were remodeled rather than replaced, giving buildings like this a unique blend of old and new. It was a common transition that played out in cities and towns across the region.

Although the station is gone today, photos like these preserve another piece of roadside history that's easy to overlook. Many former Standard Oil stations disappeared as newer convenience stores and larger fueling facilities took their place, making surviving examples increasingly uncommon.

UPDATE: This former Standard Oil and Amoco station was demolished in 2006. The historic building and pump islands are gone, and the property has since been redeveloped. 06-26

Standard Oil (now Home Health Professionals)
Sturgis, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

This old Standard Oil station in Sturgis is another survivor from the early days of the automobile. Although the pumps are long gone, the building remains intact and, when these photos were taken, was home to Home Health Professionals. It's always nice to see these early stations continue serving the community in a completely different role. 02-07

Like many Standard Oil stations built during the 1920s and 1930s, this one features the familiar house-style design that became a trademark throughout the Midwest. These stations were designed to fit naturally into their neighborhoods while giving motorists a dependable place to stop for fuel and service.

Many stations like this disappeared as larger, modern gas stations replaced them, but this building found a second life instead. Even with a different business inside, it's still easy to recognize its origins as a neighborhood filling station.

UPDATE: Historic records indicate the building continued to serve as commercial office space after its days as a gas station. Because the exact location of this former Standard Oil station has not been verified, its current status could not be confirmed. 06-26

Gas Station
Williamston, MI
Photo and info courtesy Richard Weiss

Just outside of Williamston is this little stone Gas Station, one of my favorites. These photos were taken in March 2005, and amazingly, it still looked exactly the same when Richard stopped by again later. It's the kind of place that's easy to drive past, but worth slowing down for. 02-07

Built along historic Grand River Avenue (U.S. 16), the station is a good example of the small independent filling stations that once lined Michigan's highways before the Interstate era. Instead of the standardized designs used by the major oil companies, this one was built from local fieldstone, giving it a look that's both sturdy and uniquely Michigan.

Stations like this have become increasingly rare, especially ones that have survived with so little change. Even without pumps or gasoline sales, the building still looks every bit like the neighborhood service station it was decades ago.

UPDATE: The former gas station remains standing along Grand River Avenue and continues to be well maintained. Although it no longer serves motorists, the distinctive stone building survives as one of the more memorable roadside landmarks in the Williamston area. 06-26

Discount Tobacco
Anderson, IN
Photo and info courtesy Craig Selvey

At the corner of Willow and Broadway (old State Road 9) in Anderson is this former gas station that's found a second life as Discount Tobacco. It's always interesting to spot old service stations that have survived by adapting to a completely different business. 03-07

Buildings like this were once common along busy highways, serving neighborhood motorists before larger gas stations and convenience stores took over. Even after the pumps disappeared, many of these sturdy little stations proved easy to adapt into offices, restaurants, and retail stores while still retaining their original shape.

A closer look at this building reveals its past as a filling station. Although the canopy and pump islands are gone, the compact layout and overall design are unmistakable. It's another reminder that some of yesterday's roadside businesses are still with us—you just have to know what you're looking at.

UPDATE: The former gas station building remains standing at the corner of Willow Street and Broadway. It continues to serve as a commercial business, preserving another small piece of Anderson's roadside history. 06-26

Zinser's Cookies and Goodies (Gone)
Anderson, IN
Photo courtesy Craig Selvey

Check out Zinser's Cookies and Goodies, another former gas station that found a second life along old State Road 9 in Anderson. You'd never know it at first glance, but this neighborhood bakery once served motorists instead of cookie lovers. 03-07

Located at the corner of Broadway and Thompson Avenue, the building originally operated as a neighborhood filling station when Broadway carried old State Road 9 through town. Like many small stations, it eventually gave way to newer convenience stores but was fortunate enough to avoid demolition. Instead, the old garage was transformed into a neighborhood bakery.

For more than 40 years, Zinser's Cookies and Goodies—later known as Zinszer's Bakery & Cookies—filled the former service station with the smell of fresh-baked cookies instead of gasoline. It's always fun finding places like this where the original building survives, even after taking on a completely different purpose.

UPDATE: After serving Anderson for more than four decades, Zinszer's Bakery & Cookies permanently closed. The former gas station building still stands along Broadway, but another chapter of Anderson's roadside history has come to an end. 06-26

Old Gas Station
Anderson, IN
Photo and info courtesy Craig Selvey

This former gas station along old State Road 9 in Anderson has found a completely different use over the years. Instead of servicing cars, the little building is now home to a lawyer's office. 03-07

It's always fun finding old gas stations that have been given a second chance instead of being torn down. Many of these small neighborhood stations occupied prime corner lots and were built well enough to outlast the businesses they were originally constructed for. Today, they're just as likely to house a restaurant, antique shop, office, or retail store as they are anything automotive.

Old Gas Station sits along Broadway, the historic route of old State Road 9 through Anderson. When this was one of the city's main commercial corridors, stations like this kept local traffic moving with fuel, repairs, and friendly service. As newer convenience stores and larger service stations replaced these neighborhood garages, many disappeared. Fortunately, this one remained standing and found a new purpose.

Today, the old station serves customers of a different kind. The pumps are gone, but the familiar shape of the building still hints at its past, making it another interesting reminder of how many former filling stations continue to live on in unexpected ways.

UPDATE: Because the exact address and property history for this former gas station have not been verified, its current status beyond the original photograph is unknown. The image remains a great example of how many old service stations were successfully adapted for new commercial uses rather than demolished. 06-26