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The Shell Service Station in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was a filling station constructed in 1930 following a decision in the 1920s by the Shell Company to begin marketing in North Carolina. The building is an example of representational or novelty architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 13 May 1976.
[edit] History
This one-story Shell station, in the shape of a giant scallop shell, was built in 1930 at Sprague and Peachtree Streets in Winston-Salem. The owners of the oil company decided to attract customers through a series of shell-shaped service stations. They built at least eight in the Winston-Salem area, but the station at Sprague and Peachtree is the only one remaining. The Shell station speaks to the literalism prevalent in some advertising during the 1920s and '30s.[1]
[edit] Preservation
Preservation North Carolina, an organization dedicated to the preservation of historic sites, spent one year and $50,000 to bring the landmark station back to its original condition. Workers removed layers of faded yellow paint to reveal the Shell's original yellow-orange color. The original front door was repaired and a crack fixed that had been previously sealed with nothing more than black tar. The wooden, trellised shelter that housed the car wash and allowed cars to be washed and/or serviced in the shade was reconstructed as well. The oil company donated restored gas pumps and replica lamp posts to help finish off the restoration. The landmark now serves as a satellite office for Preservation North Carolina.[1]
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