Esso Gas
Galivants Ferry, SC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Take a look at this beautifully restored old filling station along Highway 501 in Galivants Ferry. With its bright Esso Gas signs, vintage pumps, and spotless white service bay, it's easy to imagine motorists pulling in for a tank of gas nearly a century ago. The station dates back to around 1922 and was later moved a short distance to its present location near the Little Pee Dee River.

Today the station serves as a roadside display next to a modern convenience store, but it's still one of those places that's worth slowing down for. If you're passing through town, be sure to look around. The old grist mill, red barn, and other historic farm buildings nearby make this stretch of road feel like a step back in time. It's also the longtime home of the famous Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting, where South Carolina politicians have gathered to campaign since the 1870s.

UPDATE: The station remains well maintained as a historic roadside attraction, complete with its restored Esso signs and vintage pumps. 08-26

Esso Gas
VA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here's another old Esso Gas station that caught our eye somewhere in Virginia. The exact location is a mystery, but the combination of Esso signs and big Pepsi-Cola advertisements makes it worth a second look. It's the kind of little country station that once gave passing motorists a chance to fill the tank, grab a cold drink, and be on their way.

There isn't much known about this particular stop, but sometimes that's part of the fun. Rural stations like this were once scattered along highways all across Virginia, and many disappeared long before anyone thought to document them. This one managed to hang on long enough for Tony Craig to capture it looking like a classic piece of roadside Americana.

As for where it is today, that's still anybody's guess. If this one looks familiar, let us know. 11-10

Texaco Gas
Yanceyville, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Before the interstates took over, little service stations like this were a familiar sight along the back roads of North Carolina. This old Texaco Gas station in Yanceyville still wears its vintage star signs, a reminder of the days when nearly every town had a neighborhood garage where you could fill up, check the oil, and catch up on the local news.

The weathered building and classic Texaco signs make it easy to picture the steady stream of cars and pickups that once pulled in from the two-lane highway. Yanceyville was home to several Texaco dealers over the years, so while the exact history of this station remains a bit of a mystery, it certainly captures the look of small-town America during the golden age of road travel.

Whether it's still standing today is unknown, but back in 2010 it was the kind of roadside stop that made slowing down worthwhile. 11-10

Shell Gas
Spartan, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Just around the bend sits this old Shell Gas station, looking like it was built to catch the eye of everyone coming down the road. The vintage Shell sign still stands out front, making it easy to imagine travelers spotting it from a distance before pulling in for gas and a quick break.

Whether the station or its classic sign are still there today isn't known, but this is a great reminder of the days when a simple service station could become a familiar landmark along the drive. 11-10