Gas Station (Abandoned)
Encinitas, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Here's an old abandoned gas station from Encinitas, CA. Stations like this could become familiar parts of a drive through town. A stop for gasoline, a quick look under the hood, and then back out onto the road. Once the business closed, the same place took on a much different appearance.
Union 76
Beverly Hills, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Union Oil Service Center in Beverly Hills with its sweeping
canopies
is a masterpiece of space age architecture. This futuristic service station
was built in 1965 by the architectural firm of William Pereira & Associates. (Info courtesy Adriene Biondo)
Check out the swooping lines at Union 76 in Beverly Hills. At first glance, the enormous canopy looks ready to lift off, taking the pumps and perhaps a few surprised customers along with it. An ordinary fill-up comes with some extraordinary scenery at this corner.
Completed in 1965, the station was designed by Gin Wong of William L. Pereira & Associates. The design was originally intended for Los Angeles International Airport, where its futuristic shape would have suited the space-age surroundings. Instead, it landed at Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard. The airplanes stayed at LAX, but Beverly Hills got a roof that looked ready to join them.
Union 76
Beverly Hills, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The sweeping triangular canopy gives the building its unmistakable profile. Looking across the forecourt, the roof seems to rise from the building and stretch toward the street, turning a practical shelter into the main attraction. Its upward curve makes the whole station appear in motion, even while customers wait for their tanks to fill.
Take a look from another angle and the outline changes again. The broad shelter over the pumps becomes a thin, rising edge when viewed from the side. There’s quite a bit to admire in a building whose everyday purpose is simply to keep automobiles fueled and moving.
After dark, the lighting beneath the canopy adds another dimension to the scene. The roof stands out against the sky, giving the station something of a spacecraft appearance. A daytime visit shows off the shape, while an evening pass offers a different look at the same corner.
Union 76
Beverly Hills, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
At 427 North Crescent Drive, this is one gas station worth noticing even with a full tank. The architecture does most of the advertising before anyone gets around to checking the price. For roadside watchers, a red light nearby might offer just enough time for another glance.
Here's a look at the mural inside the gas station with a rendering of
the fantastic architecture.
UPDATE: The station became a Beverly Hills historic landmark in 2018. New owners announced plans in 2026 to introduce Maggie’s, a food and convenience-store concept expected to open in 2027. The plans retain the landmark canopy, 76 gasoline, and attendant-operated fueling, giving this space-age stop another chapter without losing its familiar roofline. 10-26
Anaheim Auto
Wilmington, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the industrial-looking legs at Anaheim Auto in Wilmington. The structure has something of a War of the Worlds look, as though it might lift itself off the pavement and head down the street when nobody is watching.
Those heavy supports give the place an unusual silhouette. While other stations relied on sweeping roofs or delicate-looking fins, this one seems to have brought sturdier equipment to the roadside.
UPDATE: The photograph preserves Anaheim Auto’s distinctive Wilmington structure. 10-26
Gas Station
Stanton, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Take a look at the steel boomerang fins on this Gas Station in Stanton. Their angles give the structure a sense of motion, making the place look ready for the road even while the cars underneath are standing still.
The supports add some personality to what could have been a plain shelter over the pumps. Seen from the street, they help turn an everyday gasoline stop into something worth a second glance. There’s a little optimism in these old roadside shapes. Fill the tank, check the map, and see where the next stretch of pavement leads. The building already looks eager to get going.
UPDATE: The photograph preserves this Stanton station’s boomerang supports and earlier roadside appearance. 10-26
Royal Gas
Pomona, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Reaching upward at Royal Gas in Pomona, these fins give the station a distinctly jet-age look. There’s plenty of lift in the structure, even if the only thing taking off was a customer heading back onto the street.
The sharp angles make the canopy part of the attraction. A motorist might have pulled in for gasoline, but anyone interested in old roadside architecture had something else to look at while the tank filled.
Check out how the fins rise above the service area. Their height and shape give the station a presence beyond its size, adding a little space-age drama to an otherwise routine stop.
UPDATE: This photograph recalls Royal Gas and its upward-reaching fins in Pomona. 10-26
ARCO
Covina, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
With that huge overhang out front, this ARCO station in Covina looks ready to handle something larger than the usual automobile. A space-port conversion might not have required much imagination. The canopy already seems prepared for arrivals.
Its broad projection gives the station a strong outline from the road, extending the building’s presence across the area below. There’s plenty to notice overhead before looking down at the pumps.
Union 76
Union 76
Union 76
Anaheim Auto
Gas Station
Royal Gas
ARCO
