Historic Filling Station
Philadelphia, PA
Relocation and Restoration Gives New Life to a Philadelphia Landmark
The Filling Station, built in 1930, originally served as a gas station when the lot was leased to the Gulf Oil company. Its Spanish Revival style was a common feature of Gulf Oil gas station structures of the period. Although the structure was listed on the City’s Historic Register, it fell into disuse and was left abandoned in the 1970’s.
In 2014, Parkway Corporation acquired the site to develop an office building. Parkway worked with the Philadelphia Historical Commission to change the Filling Station’s designation from a small structure to a historic object, allowing the relocation of the structure. The building was temporarliy reinforced in place to allow it to be moved onto a trailer and slowly relocated to its new home near the Sedgley Porter House in Fairmount Park. The relocation was featured on local TV news.
The restoration included brick masonry repairs and repointing, a new clay tile roof, new windows and doors, and the renovation of its interior to create a flexible meeting space. Great attention to detail was taken when replacing the missing clay tiles on the roof, where some of the original tiles had been previously infilled with asphalt shingles. The color and finish were selected to match the original tiles, restoring a significant feature of the structure. Other elements of the exterior were also restored, including the metal brackets and stucco soffit, while the interior was upgraded and brought up to contemporary standards with high quality and durable finishes. The renovated Station serves as a meeting space for the Schuylkill Navy and Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.
Project team: Keast & Hood, Structural Engineer; Pennoni Associates, Civil Engineer; Haverstick-Borthwick, Construction Manager