I have loved Shell stations since before I was buying gasoline. Shell was the gas brand in LEGO so they got me in my formative years. These days, I'll choose Shell over anyone else (and on top of that, the Fuel Rewards program to save a few extra cents per gallon). So when this appeared on my path through Winston-Salem, I went out of my way to visit.
This is the coolest thing. It is the last survivor of seashell-shaped gas stations that were built in the 1930s. This last station remained open until the 1950s and housed a lawn mower repair business in the 1970s and 80s. In 1976, it became the first individual station in America to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stick your nose up against the glass to see inside. You'll see historic black-and-white photograms, old Shell signs and other related memorabilia.
The station will be here for a while thanks to Preservation North Carolina holding protective covenants.
[Round number review 15000 overall, 502 of 2021, number 2864 in North Carolina.] read more