The Shell Service Station in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, was a filling station constructed in 1930 following a decision in the 1920s by the new local Shell distributor, Quality Oil Co., to bring brand awareness to the market in Winston-Salem. The building is an example of representational or novelty architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1976. It is located in the Waughtown-Belview Historic District.
History
Roadside Attraction: Vintage Clam Shell Gas Station in Winston Salem, North Carolina - Winston Salem, NC 1/1/2017 via YouTube Capture -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "Massive Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital | Columbia, South Carolina" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pav_0Taj6SU...
This single-story Shell station, in the shape of a giant scallop shell, was built by R.H. Burton and his son, Ralph, in 1930 at Sprague and Peachtree Streets in Winston-Salem. The owners of the oil company decided to attract customers through a series of shell-shaped service stations. They built at least eight in the Winston-Salem area, but the station at Sprague and Peachtree is the only one remaining. The Shell station speaks to the literalism prevalent in some advertising during the 1920s and '30s.
Preservation
Preservation North Carolina, an organization dedicated to the preservation of historic sites, spent one year and $50,000 to bring the landmark station back to its original condition. Workers removed layers of faded yellow paint to reveal the Shell's original yellow-orange color. The original front door was repaired and a crack fixed that had been previously sealed with nothing more than black tar. The wooden, trellised shelter that housed the car wash and allowed cars to be washed and/or serviced in the shade was reconstructed as well. The oil company donated restored gas pumps and replica lamp posts to help finish off the restoration. The landmark now serves as a satellite office for Preservation North Carolina.
See also
- Airplane Service Station, 1930 station built in the shape of an airplane
- Beam's Shell Service Station and Office, 1930 Shell station also on the NRHP
- Teapot Dome Service Station, 1922 station built in the shape of a teapot
Notes
External links
- Shell Station at oldgas.com - with a photograph of a shell-shaped station during construction
- Preservation North Carolina details of the restoration project
- “Roadside Attractionsâ€, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
