During the youthful days of the Automobile, Gas Stations were still designed for speed and convenience, although they contained a much different flare to them, adornments which often made them attractive or distinctive.  A few stations of vintage design survive, both in an abandoned form as well as still fully active.  Journey with us before the days of "Self Service" to witness these petroleum terminals of an earlier era.

A rare surviving example of an early-mid 20th Century Gas Station can be found on the Northwest corner of Eastern and Central Avenues, where this Texaco Station still does continuous business.	Another example of an early service station can be found on Gwynns Falls Parkway opposite Tioga Parkway near Mondawmin, where this former station sits.  In use for a time as a window tinting outlet, it now sits boarded and awaiting its fate.
At Belair and Sinclair lies this old spanish style station that hasserved as various other businesses in the decades following its use for fueling.	They needed gas in the boonies too.  Before the Baltimore National Pike was constructed, Old Frederick Road was one of the principal thorofares West of Baltimore.  At Johnnycake Road lied this station that now serves as an auto parts store.
A glittering streamlined example of post World War II Gas Station archtecture is this one at Hollins and Carey Streets in West Baltimore.  Despite being boarded up, the lines still make it look fresh! Photo courtesy of Marilyn Julius.	The slanted roof of the pumping shelter along with the dual triangles along the roof make for a very 1960's appearance to this filling station on Holabird Avenue in Dundalk.  I might be wrong, but I'm suspecting this was once a "Cities Service" station when it was constructed in this fashion.