Old Gas Station At Witte Rd. And Westview Dr.

[IronTiger]

So recently I passed a really cool gas station at the corner of Witte and Westview in the Spring Branch area. Obviously, it was long closed down, but I was taken aback by it because unlike the dozens of old gas stations both in use as gas stations or in use as other things, this one really stuck out to me in its mid-century style architecture. Look at that brick wall thing in front for no other reason but to look cool. Look at how that glass just bows out the front there.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.790529,-95.5401014,3a,24.3y,269.6h,85.24t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDycbMIeN9uWDUIHeGU6FfA!2e0!5s20150901T000000!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

I couldn't take a picture (it was getting dark and I wanted to get home) but once I was settled I looked up on arch-ive.org what it was...they usually have cool things like that, but could find nothing.

Based on what I could find, the site, 1223 Witte Road, was home of "South Texas Graphic Specialties" at one point, according to old Internet records, though Street View indicates it's been abandoned since at least 2007. I wonder when the last time it was used as a gas station, and if so, what brand?

[Ross]

I've been using Witte to visit friends that live further North since 1986. That station was abandoned then, as far as I could tell. It had a giant pile of boxes full of what looked like business records.

 

It is currently owned by Latino Americane de Cambios, who bought it from Check Mart in 1986. Check Mart bought it from Guardian Investor Services in 1982. Guardian bought it from Petroleum Express in 1980. They bought From Delta Realty in 1974. I can't find anything further back.

[blue92]

For some reason I'm thinking it looks like an old Texaco.

[sevfiv]

I love that old gas station - I'll have to get out to it one of these days. It used to be a Crown Service Station in the late 60s/early 70s.
...and thanks for the arch-ive shout out

[IronTiger]

15 hours ago, sevfiv said:

I love that old gas station - I'll have to get out to it one of these days. It used to be a Crown Service Station in the late 60s/early 70s.
...and thanks for the arch-ive shout out

Thanks! I always consult arch-ive.org first and foremost when there's an old building I can't ID.

[Materene]

Wasn't Crown once named Crow Flite in the 50s, their colors were Green and White with the Black Crow.  I can't remember what street it was that the office was located but I do remember it had a chilled water cooling tower on the property and we would park under that tower waiting on my Grandfather, he drove a Gas Hauler for them back then.  It was nice and cool there near the tower with cool drops of water falling from the tower.  Many early businesses used chilled water rather than commercial air conditioning.  Just a large water tower that circulated water in and out of a 4 inch line and usually a small compressor room with a few compressors to actually cool the water as it circulated but it was always going back to outside air to dump the heat it brought out of a building.  Same type of air conditioning used on most of our sky scrappers of that era, just on a much smaller scale.

[tpgraham]

Every time I pass this place I wish someone would buy it and open a Petrol Station style beer bar and eatery. Perfect lot size. Just a little busy at rush hour.

[K-C]

On 4/9/2016 at 2:07 PM, Materene said:

"Wasn't Crown once named Crow Flite in the 50s, their colors were Green and White with the Black Crow." 

 

This was one of my grandfather's locations and you were right on the Crow Flite- my grandfather who lived in Galena Park at the time was partners with Tommy Crow and owned a large chain of gas stations in the TOLA area (texas,oklahoma,lousiana,arkansas). The one thing ya were off on was the colors it was yellow and black.

But so awesome that you remembered the name! My Grandfather and his partner sold the franchise/chain to Valero back in i believe 1960 or so. His name was Rusk Benjamin Blasingame. My mother is his daughter Linda. Thanks again for the memories! Cassandra AKA   K-C