Standard Oil Gasoline Station (Plainfield, Illinois)

The Standard Oil Gasoline Station is a historic building once used as a gas station in Plainfield, Illinois. The Lincoln Highway was the first paved road in Plainfield. As the first transcontinental road in America, the road saw very heavy usage and was re-designated U.S. Route 30 in the 1920s. Plainfield's location on the route made it a prime location for refueling stations. The station is a fusion of the "Domestic" and "Spanish" style gas stations that Standard Oil designed in the early 20th century. The Domestic elements were intended to represent a cottage, promoting a mom-and-pop atmosphere, while the Spanish style incorporated southwestern architecture. Like most Standard Oil stations at the time, the color scheme was red, white, and blue. Built during the Great Depression, the Plainfield station features less ornamentation than stations during the 1920s due to economic concerns; instead, large panes of plate glass were used along the sides of the station. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1984.

References

• National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Standard Oil Gasoline Station