email: roadarch@outlook.com

Connecticut Ice Boxes & Modern Gas Stations

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former Gulf station [gone]
Willimantic, CT
This former Gulf station is actually an older station that was refaced with porcelain enamel panels to look like an "icebox" in 1953. It was still selling gas and performing repairs while doing business as Knights Oil and Heating Service when these photos from 2004 and 2007 were taken. By 2015, the building appeared vacant. It was still vacant in 2018. It was demolished around 2020. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

former Gulf station
Enfield, CT		 former Texaco station
Enfield, CT
This former Gulf station houses a repair shop. The pumps and letters on the building have been removed. [map]

This former Texaco has been closed for many years. This photo is from 2009. The building was still vacant and the pumps were still there in 2016. The pumps were gone by 2018 and the building was still vacant. [map]

former Mobil station [gone]
Hamden, CT		 Hess station
East Hartford, CT
Architect Eliot Noyes created the design that was used in 19,000 new and remodeled Mobil stations around the world. The first one was built in New Haven, CT. These Hamden station canopies shown in this 2004 photo, would originally have been accompanied by Noyes' cylindrical shaped pumps with brushed-aluminum casings. See this Holbrook, AZ station for an example and this patent from 1967. Despite the prevalence of these stations at one time, it is extremely rare to find any remaining canopies of this design. Some examples include these in Denton, NC, Dallas, TX, Machias, NY, Tampa, FL, and Allentown, PA.

This Hess station may be from the 1960s or 1970s. I have not seen a canopy like this before at a Hess or any other station. In 2015, all Hess stations were rebranded as Speedway stations. This station is now an Xpress Fuel. The canopy is still there. [map]

former Phillips 66 station
Meriden, CT
This former Phillips 66 station was built in 1965. It was operating as a Getty station when these photos were taken in 2011. This building layout is unusual but appears to be original. Normally, the Phillips 66 design put both bays on the same side of the office. This station has one bay on each side. Sometime between 2013 and 2015, Getty closed. In 2016, the station was operating independently. In 2019, it was announced that this building would most likely be demolished in order to build a new gas station. The station is still there, surrounded by chain link fencing. [map]

More Connecticut:
former Gulf station (East Hartford) [gone]
former station (Manchester) [map]
former Gulf station (Mystic) [map]
Hess station (Waterford) [gone]
former Gulf station (Wilton) [map]

Connecticut
Canopies		 Connecticut
Misc.		 Gas Stations Main Page