Union Grove General Store
Union Grove, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

In the town of Union Grove, pretty much all there was to the town of Union Grove was this long closed early gas station and grocery store. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

Long before it became a country store and filling station, the building actually served as a local schoolhouse before being moved across the road. It's hard not to imagine folks stopping here for a tank of gas, a few groceries, and a friendly conversation before heading on their way.

UPDATE: The old building has since been restored and once again welcomes visitors as the Union Grove General Store. 08-26

The Country Store
Centerville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Country Store in Centerville, NC is one of the few old gas station buildings around that still sell gas. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

Sitting at a quiet country crossroads, it's the kind of place where you can still fill the tank while picking up a few groceries before heading on down the road. Small stores like this were once common throughout rural North Carolina, but very few have managed to keep both sides of the business going.

UPDATE: The Country Store remains open and continues serving the community with groceries and fuel from its historic roadside location. 08-26

Texaco
Franklinton, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

You don't have to be a fan of old gas stations to appreciate this classic Texaco sign in Franklinton. Rising above the corner much as it has for decades, it's the kind of roadside landmark that instantly catches your eye. 05-08

The station itself is gone, but the sign survived, and that's what makes this stop so memorable. For years it welcomed motorists traveling through town on old U.S. 1, back when a familiar Texaco star meant gasoline, a friendly mechanic, and another few miles down the road.

It's always nice to see a community save a piece of its roadside history instead of clearing it away. Even standing by itself, the old Texaco sign has enough character to make you wonder what the station looked like in its heyday.

UPDATE: The sign remains the centerpiece of Franklinton's Texaco Station Park, where it continues welcoming visitors to downtown more than 60 years after its design first appeared. 08-26

Old Gas Station
North Wilkesboro, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

 The old 50's modern gas station was in Wilkesboro, just a few miles south. I have no idea what kind of gas was sold here but I have seen several stations of this style around the Carolinas, all of which are used for other things. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

This old Gas Station may have lost its pumps and signs, but it hasn't lost its style. Sitting just south of North Wilkesboro in Wilkesboro, it's a great example of the streamlined service stations that became popular during the 1950s.

Even without its original identity, this little station is a nice reminder that sometimes it's the building, not the sign out front, that makes a roadside stop worth remembering.

Union 76 Gas (Closed)
Overshot, NC
Photo courtesy Tait Hilliard

This was a small Union 76 service station in Overshot, NC off of Hwy 701.  It appears to be at least from the 70’s because of the design on the logo, but not sure. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08

There isn't much to the little crossroads of Overshot, but that's exactly what makes this old Union 76 Gas station such a fun find. Sitting just off Highway 701, it looks like the kind of place where everybody in town knew the owner and stopped by sooner or later.

Old Union 76 stations aren't something you run across very often anymore, especially in little places like this. Sometimes it's not the biggest sign or the fanciest building that makes you pull over. Sometimes it's just an old gas station sitting at a lonely crossroads, waiting for someone to notice it again.