For the last 70+ years the gas station has become an established part of the urban landscape, over this period we have seen at least 3 main design typologies emerge. The early gas stations (1930-60) provided a full service maintenance center for automobiles and generally included two garage bays for maintenance and repair. As more reliable automobiles emerged in the 1970’s the gas stations converted to a garage free design consisting of a series of gas islands and one small cashiers office, allowing for a larger amount of the site to be used of gas distribution. Recently, with increased competition and lower profits on gasoline sales, the gas station has evolved toward a convenient store model, which integrates fast pay gas islands with a highly profitable convenient foods store.

As the design requirements have changed over the years to maintain profitability, the old designs become obsolete and are quick to be abandoned. We are currently witnessing one of these phase changing periods in gas station design, as older stations are being abandoned or demolished and replaced by the more profitable convenient marts.

From its inception the gas station has been a utilitarian building type, where the functionality and innovation came in the gas tank and storage technology, with the buildings maintaining a generic profile that is highly adaptable to aesthetic appeals, and easily replaced as needed. Included in this photographic survey are some of the gas stations facing extinction.