A stop at Savon Gas in Compton came with a little more to admire than the price per gallon. The sweeping canopy gave the station a futuristic look, turning an everyday fill-up into a brief encounter with the space age.
These old stations put some imagination into the roadside. Swooping roofs and angled supports helped catch the attention of motorists, while providing a little shade for the practical business below. Even standing still at the pump, the place looked ready to move.
Your car might still ping and the gasoline might not be any cheaper, but at least the view offered a couple of minutes of roadside enchantment.
UPDATE: Not sure the status of this gas station. 10-26
Avalon Gas Pumps Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
With their pumps standing guard, the old Avalon Gas Pumps in Los Angeles recall a neighborhood station after its busier days had passed. There’s something lonely about a filling station without cars pulling in, especially when the equipment remains waiting for the next customer.
Small independent stations were once familiar stops along city streets, offering a tank of gas without the sprawling convenience store attached. Their modest buildings and roadside pumps could become part of the everyday neighborhood view.
Here, the photograph catches that quieter side of the automobile age. The pumps are still part of the scene, even if the usual activity around them has faded.
UPDATE: These pumps are likely no longer around. 10-26
Gas station
Gardena, CA Photo courtesy Mike Daerden
Over at El Segundo Boulevard and Western Avenue in Gardena, this old Gas Station had a roofline worth noticing. The swooping canopies gave the corner a mid-century look, with enough lift to make an ordinary gasoline stop seem a little more adventurous. Pulling underneath offered a different view from the usual flat shelter over the pumps.
The property was being offered for sale when the original photograph was taken. While its future was uncertain, the canopy still showed off the kind of roadside design that once helped stations distinguish themselves from the competition. The gasoline might have been much the same down the street, but this corner had something extra overhead.
Take a look at the way the roof sweeps outward. Its shape draws the eye across the station, giving the structure a sense of movement even when every car underneath is parked. A practical place to get out of the sun became part of the attraction.
Gas station
Gardena, CA Photo courtesy Mike Daerden
For motorists waiting at the intersection, the station offered a little scenery between light changes. No need to have an empty tank to appreciate this one. Sometimes the best part of a fill-up was simply looking around.
UPDATE: The photograph records the station at El Segundo and Western during its sale period, preserving its swooping canopy and earlier roadside appearance. The later history of the specific structure shown here is not known. 10-26
Gas Station
Huntington Park, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Looking somewhat like a landing place for tomorrow’s automobiles, this Gas Station in Huntington Park brought a space-age touch to the roadside. Its unusual form made a routine stop for fuel look like something from a future that never quite arrived.
That was part of the appeal of these imaginative stations. Drivers could pull in with an ordinary car and find themselves underneath architecture that suggested a much more exciting way to travel.
UPDATE: The photograph preserves this Huntington Park station’s space-age appearance. Its original business name and exact location not known. 10-26
Arco
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the smoothed-out boomerang look at this Arco station in Los Angeles. The canopy has a softer version of the dramatic shapes seen at earlier roadside stations, giving the pumps a little style without looking quite ready for takeoff.
The original photograph suggests a later chapter in gas-station design, when some of the sharper space-age flourishes gave way to broader, simpler forms. The roof still adds interest to the stop, even if the boomerang appears to have settled down a bit.
UPDATE: This photograph records the station’s earlier Arco appearance. 10-26
G&H Gas (Gone)
Garden Grove, CA Photo courtesy David Carrasco
Here is a photo of G&H Gas located in Garden Grove
CA. Notice the nice fins which supports this nice structure. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.
Located at 10602 Westminster Avenue, the station featured supports resembling those used at mid-century Wilshire stations. Its canopy had a different shape, so the exact original branding remains uncertain, but the family resemblance is easy to appreciate.
UPDATE: G&H’s distinctive canopy was gone by 2018. The photograph preserves the fins and roofline that once gave this Westminster Avenue station its roadside character. The place is now an Arco. 10-26
Barnsdall Rio Grande Service Station
Goleta, CA Photo courtesy Vic Eirschele
Here are a couple of shots of the Barnsdall Rio Grande Service Station, located in Goleta, CA. This gas station was built in 1929 in the Spanish colonial revival style and was designed by the same architectural firm that was designed the Richfield service stations from the same period. More info can be found here. Many thanks to Vic Eirschele for info. 04-06
Designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements, the building was associated with the nearby Ellwood oil field. The same architectural firm also created notable Richfield buildings, bringing an unusually elaborate touch to the business of selling gasoline.
Barnsdall Rio Grande Service Station
Goleta, CA Photo courtesy Vic Eirschele
The station once served travelers along the coast highway. After Highway 101 was rerouted, passing traffic dwindled, and the business closed in the early 1950s. The little building stayed behind, gradually becoming a roadside landmark admired long after its last public fill-up.
Its tower and decorative details have helped it remain recognizable through decades of vacancy. There may be no gasoline to buy, but there is still plenty to look at.
UPDATE: Goleta approved the Sandpiper redevelopment project in June 2026, including restoration and reuse of the historic station alongside a new café. The plans would give this longtime vacant landmark another purpose, with seating and bicycle amenities associated with the coffee shop. 10-26
Savon Gas
Avalon Gas Pumps
Gas station
Gas station
Gas Station
Arco
G&H Gas (Gone)
Barnsdall Rio Grande Service Station
Barnsdall Rio Grande Service Station
