National Register of Historic Places Program
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.
Pioneer Oil Company Filling Station
Grinnell, Iowa
NR Reference Number: 13000070
Listed: 03/13/2013
831 West Street, Grinnell, IA
Summary:
The Pioneer Oil Company Filling Station is significant on the local level on the basis of its commercial architecture (Criterion C). This is a well preserved example of a custom-built filling station. This building evolved in form and design with its ever-changing auto/truck fueling industry. It started out as a smaller office building into the present extended design. Grinnell by 1940 had nearly 20 service stations and this is Grinnell's sole surviving intact example of a pre-World War II this architectural type. Just three historic service stations survive in Grinnell. One, a Deep Rock station (621 Fourth Avenue, built in 1956 and was located immediately north cross Fourth Avenue is nearly obliterated by alterations whi e a 1956 Phillips 66 Station (804 Sixth Avenue) represents a national design prototype. While custom built as described, this example very much conforms with two trends in service station design. The first was an emphasis on a horizontal massing and ornamentation. The second was an emphasis on distinguishing the office and service bay sections of the building. Thus the office gained a distinctive pediment and focused brickwork detailing and coloration.
Link to full file: Pioneer Oil Company Filling Station
Quicklinks
Last Updated: 06/13/2011 1900 hrs