Gold Standard
A restored filling station in Kentucky represents preservation at its best
By Elizabeth McNamara | From Preservation | January/February 2010
The brick filling station on the southwest corner of Circus Square in Bowling Green, Ky
Credit: ?Dorian Walker
In 1921, with automobile sales booming, Standard Oil constructed a filling station on the southwest corner of Circus Square in Bowling Green, Ky. Designed to blend with the neighborhood (its metal roof slanted to mimic nearby bungalow-style houses), it provided patrons with local maps, clean restrooms, and gasoline.
"Back then, people would buy [their gas] from hardware stores or even people's porches," says Dorian Walker, a local filmmaker and designer, and two-time chair of the Bowling Green & Warren County Historic Preservation Board. "There was no consistency in quality, and the concept of a community filling station was a brand-new thing."
Over time, car dealerships and service garages popped up in the vicinity, and the stretch of road between College and State streets became known as Automotive Alley. But after the construction of Interstate 65 in the 1960s, a growing number of residents moved to the suburbs. Businesses in downtown Bowling Green withered. Automotive Alley became a row of boarded-up, blighted buildings and the brick filling station a vacant shell.
Fast forward to 2007, when the city offered the station to anyone willing to restore it. "The recession was looming," says Walker. "Everyone began tightening their belts, and the last thing they wanted to do was allocate money to restore a filling station."
But what others saw as an economic liability, Walker saw as an opportunity for community service. He formed a five-person save-the-station team in early 2008. John Atkerson, a trained architect, completed a background study of the building's architectural significance; Miranda Clements represented the group as the preservation planner; Heather Rogers (a Downtown Redevelopment Authority member) wrote a report of the group's findings for the city commission; and Carroll Hildreth, whose father had purchased the station from Standard Oil in the 1940s, acted as an adviser.
"We told the city commission we were interested in adaptive reuse," says Walker. In October 2008 the city approved the team's proposal to transform the vintage station into a rest stop with public bathrooms for Circus Square Park.
Guided by architectural drawings based on historical photographs, contractor Mike Murphy stripped away an extraneous addition. Workers stabilized the station's trusses, restored the canopy and its iron braces, reconstructed the flooring, and painted the roof crimson. Walker then ordered vintage re-creations from Gas Pump Heaven, a Nebraska-based manufacturer. After a six-month restoration effort, the grand reopening was held last May. Bowling Green then received the Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation Preservation Award for the project.
"Today it's a very popular photographic destination," says Walker. "And, I'll tell you, there are a lot of people asking to buy their gas at 17 cents a gallon like the sign says."
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Comments
Submitted by History Professor at: April 6, 2010
Quoting Joe Denning....that will help your credibility. Check out his voting record as a city commishioner. How many years did he get free electric service from BGMU? How many properties has BGMU purchased and torn down? Hmmmmm. It's sad that people have to move to BG from other places to recognize what is BG's history, isn't it?
Submitted by Citizen at: March 24, 2010
@Dorian Walker: I am not self employed so I can work when I want to, my wife doesn't work, so don't chastise me because I won't volunteer for painting. I'm not part of the establishment so my thots hold little weight with commission or powers-that-be (that includes you and Doug Gorman.) @History Professor: this would included the yellow brick buildings from the 50s in Auto Alley @Doug Gorman: "enjoyed?" It has no function. It is a preserved unusable building. It has no potential. Just like the building on the other corner that was preserved.
Submitted by Citizen at: March 24, 2010
Unlike Dorian Walker, I am not self-employed, my wife doesn't work, and I'm not part of the establishment. @ History Professor: does this apply to the "auto alley" ie the 50s yellow brick buildings that were preserved? @Doug Gorman: "enjoyed"? It only serves as an expensive porta-potty.
Submitted by Doug Gorman at: March 24, 2010
Great job Dorian. The station is beautiful and will be enjoyed for generations to come!
Submitted by History Professor at: March 23, 2010
It's that attitude that has left Bowling Green full of parking lots. Let's not confuse historic with famous.
Submitted by Old, yes. But "historic"? at: March 23, 2010
Bowling Green city commissioner Joe Denning said he was born in one of the "historic" shotgun houses. He also said they're not historic, they're just old. Saving historic properties is worthwhile and admirable. Saving old properties just because they're old is silly.
Submitted by Dorian Walker at: March 12, 2010
Where was this Citizen when we, including my wife the Mayor fought to save the shotgun houses. Where was this citizen when we asked for help to temporarily paint them in an attempt to convince City Commissioners that they were worth saving. It's fine to criticize, as long as you're willing to sweat along with other folks working hard to preserve the rich heritage of our fine town.
Submitted by Citizen at: February 1, 2010
Too bad nobody mentioned all the historic shotgun houses and other occupied residences within a block of this tiny building that were demolished to make way for a park, a ballpark and performing arts center. You don't think it's important to disclose that Mrs. Dorian Walker is the Mayor of Bowling Green?