Posto Shell no Formato da Concha Símbolo da Empresa / Shell Service Station, Winston-Salem, Carolina do Norte, Estados Unidos

 

Posto Shell em Formato da Concha Símbolo da Empresa / Shell Service Station, Winston-Salem, Carolina do Norte, Estados Unidos

Winston-Salem - Estados Unidos

Fotografia

Texto 1:
The Shell Service Station in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, was a filling station constructed in 1930 following a decision in the 1920s by the new local Shell distributor, Quality Oil Co., to bring brand awareness to the market in Winston-Salem. The building is an example of representational or novelty architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1976. It is located in the Waughtown-Belview Historic District.
This single-story Shell station, in the shape of a giant scallop shell, was built by R.H. Burton and his son, Ralph, 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 1930s.
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 and a museum for Preservation North Carolina.
Texto 2:
If you're driving through Winston-Salem, North Carolina and notice that your gas tank is in need of a fill-up, you may be tempted to pull over at the giant yellow scallop shell that dominates the corner of Sprague. The station no longer sells gas, which is bad news for your gas tank, but its fascinating history makes it well worth a stop.
The 18-foot tall shell dates back to 1930 when marketing geniuses at the Quality Oil Company, a Winston-based marketer of Shell Oil, decided to build eight gas stations shaped like giant shells to lure in customers. Joseph Glenn and Bert Bennett had launched Quality Oil in 1929, but because Shell had not marketed its products in North Carolina before the late 1920s, they knew they needed something to attract customers. The solution was a series of shell-shaped service stations sure to build buzz around Winston-Salem.
The shells, which were inspired by the logo of the Royal Dutch-Shell Oil company, were constructed out of concrete stucco poured over a bent wood and wire framework and built to last. Seven of the hard-to-miss shells were built in Winston-Salem and one in the nearby town of Kernersville. The design of the stations was so unique it was patented on November 25, 1930. Sadly, the shell station on East Sprague Street is the last one in existence.
The shell stations were a hit, serving up gas to motorists in needs for decades. However, the good business didn't last as competition, a new highway, and changes in traffic patterns left the gas station. After the gas station closed, the structure was used as a lawn mower repair shop. Eventually it fell into disrepair and while the iconic Shell Service Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1976 it was still a * ahem * shell of its former self.
In the mid-1990s Preservation North Carolina, North Carolina's historic preservation nonprofit advocacy group, stepped in. The organization raised money to repair the historic site and return the landmark to its original majestic yellow condition. They liked the restored shell building so much that the organization maintained a regional office there until 2011.
While it may be 42 years old and its creators could never have imagined how great the building would look on Instagram, its charm endures and as Roadside America notes, it is still very much "a worthy photo detour." Just fill up your gas tank before you get there.