Butler Gulf Gas Station Lollipop Sign (Gone)
Butler, NJ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Cruising along Route 23 through Butler, here’s one of those old gas stations that was hard to miss. The Butler Gulf Gas Station had that familiar orange and blue Gulf look, with the big round signs standing above the pumps and plenty of color facing the highway. Need some gas? This was the place to pull in.

The site had been serving motorists since at least 1975, when it was known as U-Save Gas. It later became a Gulf station and settled into the Route 23 landscape for years. There wasn’t anything particularly fancy about the place, just a canopy, a row of pumps and those unmistakable Gulf signs. Sometimes that’s all it takes to make an ordinary gas station worth another look.

Butler Gulf Gas Station (Rem.)
Butler, NJ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

These smaller highway stations were once everywhere, especially along busy roads like Route 23. You’d spot the sign up ahead, pull off the highway, fill the tank and be back on the road a few minutes later. The Butler station managed to hang onto its Gulf appearance long after many similar stations had been remodeled or disappeared altogether.

The Gulf name finally came down in 2019, but this old gas station wasn’t quite finished pumping fuel.

UPDATE: The station was rebranded as 23 Petroleum in 2021 and remains open along Route 23. The old Gulf signs are gone, but the corner continues doing pretty much what it has done for decades, filling up cars passing through Butler. 08-26

Shell Gas
Cambridge, MA
Photo courtesy Jake Warner

Cruising along Memorial Drive in Cambridge, it’s pretty hard to miss the Shell Gas Station just a block or two west of the BU Bridge. Forget the pumps for a minute. The real roadside attraction here is that huge Shell sign towering above the canopy. It’s one of those signs that seems much too big for the gas station underneath, which of course makes it all the better. 10-06

Turns out this giant Shell had already done a little traveling of its own. The sign dates back to 1933 and originally stood across the Charles River on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. In 1944 it was moved to its present spot along Memorial Drive, where it became a familiar sight for anyone traveling along the river.

Shell Gas marquee close-up
Cambridge, MA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Standing about 68 feet tall, this wasn’t your ordinary gas station sign. The red SHELL letters originally glowed in neon while rows of incandescent bulbs lit up the giant yellow shell. Signs like this were known as “spectaculars,” which seems like a pretty good description. Imagine coming down Memorial Drive at night with this thing glowing above the station. You certainly wouldn’t have much trouble figuring out where to stop for gas.

When this shot was taken, the station was still pumping gas, but unfortunately the giant sign had gone dark. Even without the lights, it still dominated the place. The canopy, pumps and little service station almost seemed secondary underneath it. Pull in for a tank of gas and chances are you’d spend more time looking up than watching the numbers on the pump.

Shell Gas
Cambridge, MA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

The old Shell was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Boston may have its famous Citgo sign near Fenway Park, but just across the Charles, Cambridge has this giant Shell keeping watch over Memorial Drive.

Fortunately, the lights didn't stay off forever.

UPDATE: Updated photos of the Shell gas station in Cambridge. Many thanks to Paul Bauke for update. 07-07

UPDATE: The giant Shell sign was brought back to life with new LED lighting in 2011. It provided a little unexpected roadside humor in 2019 when the “S” went dark, leaving “HELL” glowing above Cambridge. Apparently it wasn't the first time the old sign had pulled that trick either. The landmark Shell and the gas station beneath it are still here today. 08-26