Old Gas Station
Denton, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's one old Gas Station that found a second career. Instead of pumping gasoline, this former filling station in Denton was serving coffee when this photo was taken. The wide canopy still gives away its original purpose, making it easy to picture cars lined up at the pumps years ago. 12-07
Rather than being torn down, the old station became The Buttercup Cafe, proving that some roadside buildings can adapt with the times. It's a fun surprise to find an old filling station still serving the community, even if the customers are stopping for coffee instead of gas.
UPDATE: The Buttercup Cafe has since closed, but the former gas station building still stands on Main Street. 08-26
Cornwallis Service Station (Gone)
Carthage, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
There's plenty to catch your eye at the Cornwallis Service Station, but it's hard not to notice the giant Coca-Cola mural covering the side of the building. Between the colorful advertisement and the old service station itself, this is the kind of roadside stop that almost guarantees you'll be reaching for your camera. 12-07
The station no longer pumps gas or repairs cars, but the building still looks right at home along Highway 24/27. With its familiar service station shape and wide canopy, it's easy to picture motorists pulling in years ago for a fill-up before continuing through the North Carolina countryside.
Cornwallis Service Station
Carthage, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Coca-Cola mural, painted in 1999 by artist Louis Grady Jr., gave the old station a whole new personality without taking away any of its vintage charm. Instead, it feels like the sort of advertisement that belongs on an old roadside building. Today the station has been converted into a thrift shop, proving once again that some of these old service stations can find a second life without losing the character that made them interesting in the first place.
If you're passing through Carthage, this is one of those stops that's worth slowing down for. Whether it's the old station, the Coke mural, or both together, it's the kind of roadside scene that makes taking the back roads so much fun.
UPDATE: The old service station continues to house a thrift shop, and the Coca-Cola mural remains one of the featured stops along the Moore County Mural Trail. The thrift shop came on around 2014 and filled in the area where the canopy used to be. 08-26
Delta Oil
Ruby, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
You don't run across a Delta Oil Gas Station every day. That's what makes this little roadside stop in Ruby, South Carolina, worth a closer look. Sitting along the highway, it's the kind of old filling station that brings back memories of when independent gas brands could be found in nearly every small town. 01-08
The station had already closed by the time this photo was taken, but it still had plenty of roadside character. From the weathered building to the old Delta Oil name, it's easy to imagine local residents and travelers pulling in for a tank of gas before continuing down the road.
Places like this have become increasingly hard to find as independent stations have disappeared from the landscape. If you're taking the back roads through South Carolina, an old station like this is the kind of unexpected discovery that makes the slower route worthwhile.
Mt Croghan Service Station
Mt Croghan, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
It doesn't take much to catch your eye in a town the size of Mt. Croghan, and this old Mt Croghan Service Station is one stop that's hard to miss. Sitting quietly along the roadside, it looks like the kind of place where just about everyone in town probably stopped sooner or later. 01-08
Years ago, this was one of several service stations serving the community, and for many years it operated as the H and H Service Station before its owners retired in 1989. Today the pumps are quiet, but the old building still brings back memories of when small-town filling stations were as much gathering places as they were places to buy gasoline.
If you're wandering the back roads of South Carolina, little towns like Mt. Croghan often have the best surprises. An old gas station like this may not make the guidebooks, but it's exactly the kind of roadside discovery that makes taking the slower road worthwhile.
Gulf Gas
Tazewell, TN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The old pumps are what make this Gulf Gas Station so hard to drive past. They still stand out front like they're waiting for the next customer to pull in, while the weathered station behind them looks as though it hasn't changed much in years. It's the kind of roadside scene that almost forces you to slow down for a second look. 01-08
There was a time when stations like this were an essential stop along the highway. Long before travelers depended on giant travel plazas and convenience stores, little neighborhood stations handled just about everything. You could fill the tank, have the oil checked, get a flat repaired, and probably hear the latest local news before getting back on the road. Looking at this old Gulf station, it's easy to imagine a mechanic working in the service bay while another customer waited beside the pumps.
Gulf Gas
Tazewell, TN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Tazewell has long been a stopping point for travelers making their way through the mountains of east Tennessee. With U.S. 25E carrying traffic through town, stations like this welcomed everyone from local farmers and truckers to families heading toward the Cumberland Gap. They weren't fancy places, but they were dependable, and every town seemed to have one or two that locals trusted.
One of the nicest things about this station is that so much of its character is still there. The vintage Gulf pumps remain the stars of the show, and together with the old building they create the kind of roadside scene that's becoming harder and harder to find. You don't need a flashy neon sign or a giant attraction when a handful of old pumps can tell the story just as well.
Gulf Gas view from across the street
Tazewell, TN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
If you're exploring the back roads of Tennessee, this is exactly the kind of place that makes taking the slower route worthwhile. You never know when an old filling station, a faded motel, or a forgotten roadside business will appear around the next bend. Sometimes all it takes is a weathered Gulf station like this to remind you why getting off the interstate is half the fun.
Old Gas Station
Cornwallis Service Station (Gone)
Cornwallis Service Station
Delta Oil
Mt Croghan Service Station
Gulf Gas
Gulf Gas
Gulf Gas view from across the street
