Amoco Gas Station (Closed)
SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Amoco stations like this were all over the place in the 1980's and early 90's. Everyone saw them, every one went to them but no one thinks about them. Coming across this, a completely intact abandoned 80's style Amoco Gas Station station instantly took me back to the fun days of "Robo Cop" and "Back to the Future" and no reality shows in TV. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 03-08
It wasn't all that long ago that Amoco Gas Stations like this were everywhere. Whether you were heading to school, piling into the family station wagon for vacation, or just running errands around town, chances are you stopped at one more than a few times. Seeing this abandoned station, still looking much as it did in the late 1980s, is like stepping into a time capsule.
The familiar white canopy, red and blue trim, and intact pumps instantly bring back memories of an era when movies like Back to the Future and RoboCop were playing at the local theater, cassette tapes filled the car stereo, and a road trip didn't begin without a stop for gas.
Most stations from this era have been remodeled beyond recognition or replaced altogether, making this one a surprisingly rare find. It may no longer be pumping gasoline, but it still captures a piece of the roadside that millions of us remember without giving it much thought.
Gas Station
Little Rock, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's another old Gas Station that's worth slowing down for. Tucked away in the little community of Little Rock, South Carolina, it's the kind of roadside stop that's easy to overlook unless you're taking the back roads. 01-08
The station has long since closed, but the weathered building still has plenty of character. It's easy to imagine travelers pulling in for a tank of gas before continuing down the highway, back when stations like this could be found in nearly every small town.
There's nothing fancy about this old place, and that's exactly why it caught our attention. It wasn't built to become an attraction. It was simply part of the everyday roadside, and that's what makes finding it today so much fun.
Downtown Auto (Closed) Cary,
NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's one old Shell station that never really left the automotive business. By the time this photo was taken, the pumps were gone and the building had become Downtown Auto Sales, but one look at the old service bays and you could still tell it had started life as a neighborhood filling station. 03-08
Built in 1951, the station spent its early years serving Shell customers before finding a second career selling and repairing automobiles. Unlike many old stations that disappeared as Cary grew, this one continued serving the community in one form or another, making it a familiar sight along East Chatham Street for generations.
UPDATE: The former station has been restored and is preparing to open as Lloyd's Full Service, a restaurant and gathering spot that preserves much of the original 1951 service station. 08-26
Little John's Service Station
Converse, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Little John's Service Station in Converse, SC features Gulf Gas. It appeared abandoned when these photos were taken. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 01-08
There was a time when little neighborhood stations like this were just another part of the drive. Folks stopped in for a tank of gas, had the oil checked, picked up a cold drink, or spent a few minutes talking with the owner before heading back down the road. In a small community like Converse, it's easy to imagine Little John's being more than just a gas station. It was probably a place where everybody knew everybody.
Little John's Service Station
Converse, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
By the time this photo was taken, the station had already gone quiet, but it hadn't lost its personality. The old Gulf signs still welcomed passing motorists, and the building retained the same familiar look it had carried for years. Unlike so many abandoned stations that have been stripped of everything that made them unique, this one still had enough left to bring back memories of the days when Gulf stations dotted highways and small towns across the Southeast.
One of the best things about exploring the back roads is finding places like this. They were never built to become attractions or historic landmarks. They simply served their communities one customer at a time. Years later, they become something even more interesting, quiet reminders of what traveling America's highways used to be like before every exit started looking the same.
Gas Station
Hartwell, GA Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The only thing that could make an old abandoned gas station better (other than being restored to new that is) would be a few old trucks parked in front of it. This old gas station was found just south of Hartwell, Georgia. Nearby was this old Texaco Dodge tanker. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 01-08
The station had already been abandoned for years, but it hadn't lost the character that made it worth photographing. The faded building, quiet pumps, and collection of old trucks make it easy to imagine a much busier time, when local residents stopped in for gasoline and the Texaco tanker periodically rolled up to refill the underground tanks before heading off to the next station down the road.
Gas Station
Hartwell, GA Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
One of the things that makes this stop so memorable is that nothing feels staged. The trucks, the old station, and the rural setting all seem to belong together, creating the kind of roadside scene that used to be much more common. It's not a museum display or a restored attraction. It's simply a snapshot of the American roadside that's managed to hang around a little longer than most.
If you're exploring the back roads around Hartwell, this is exactly the sort of place that makes the slower route worthwhile. Sometimes an old gas station is enough to catch your eye. Add a vintage fuel tanker and a few other well-worn trucks, and you've got a roadside stop that's hard to forget.
Old Gas
Corinth,
NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Hidden in the overgrowth in Corinth, NC is this long abandoned gas station that at some point was used as a grocery store. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 03-08
The building started out as a gas station before later serving as a neighborhood grocery store, a common story for many small-town businesses. After the doors closed, nature slowly began reclaiming the property, giving it even more character.
Places like this are part of what makes exploring the back roads so much fun. You never know when an old station, country store, or forgotten roadside stop will appear through the trees, waiting for someone to notice it again.
Amoco Gas Station (Closed)
Gas Station
Downtown Auto (Closed)
Little John's Service Station
Little John's Service Station
Gas Station
Gas Station
Old Gas
