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1925. Washington, D.C. "Texas Company, Georgia Avenue and Military Road." Gas now 20 cents a gallon for regular, 23 for Texalene Benzol Blend. As we can see, this was during the Great Splotch Epidemic of 1925. View full size.
The house I grew up in is northwest of and about a 20 minute walk from this spot. My grade school (until 3rd grade) was Brightwood Elementary, 5 mintues west on Military Road.
I may have seen this place as a gas station when I was little but I do remember it as a convenience store and I think maybe a place that sold alcohol. In any case, my parents never went there, so I never did, either.
In response to Jesse Livingston's comment, I enjoy seeing the modern photos posted by readers. It's interesting to compare new with old, and it sometimes helps by putting the old photo in context.
For anyone interested, using a standard web-based inflation adjustor, 20-cent gasoline in 1926 is equivalent to gas at $2.40 a gallon today; the 23-cent stuff would cost $2.76.
Assuming improvements in octane rating and engine efficiency since the 1920s, the real cost in miles per dollar probably isn't much different, and today's gas may actually take you farther per (inflation-adjusted) dollar.
While I appreciate that some people live in the pictured areas and have inserted Google maps and enlargable color views, I only find them annoying. Frequently when I try to view a picture "Full Size", I have to scan through a bunch of modern views that do not interest me at all since I do not live in the area. Hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but it is very annoying to have this happen as it slows things down while the maps and pictures load.It seems to have become a rampant disease to put these modern photos in with our old pictures. I go to Shorpy to see how things used to be, especially the vehicles and signage.
As a resident of DC, I can't get over how positively rural this view is. Incredible how far a city can come.
That marker is from the Brightwood Heritage Trail. Cultural Tourism DC has lots of those neighborhood trails all over Washington.
I thought he'd lost a little weight recently!
In the Google Street Views, there is a historical marker on the island between Missouri Avenue and Rock Creek Ford Road. When you zoom in on it, one side of the marker says (I believe) "Battleground to Community" and has indistinct old photos (perfect for Shorpy?). From another angle, the back of same marker seems to show a historic photo of the building across the street from it, a four story office building at the corner of Missouri and Colorado ("Brightwood Bistro" on the first-floor awning).
It might be interesting to see if the old photos from that marker could be found and presented on Shorpy, with an explanation of their historic significance.
Timeandagainphoto was close, and Mr DCMemories was off by a couple of blocks. Here's the view today (note the identical building on the right).
[Timeandagain wasn't off at all -- he was pointing out the rowhouses in back. - Dave]
Great little grease pit (as we called 'em when I was a lad) and station. It looks like the grease monkey had to slip under the car or perhaps only pull it partway over the pit to grease it. "Gasoline alley" (at Indy) must've had these during its early years, hence the term "the pits."
A neighbour in the town where I grew up had a oil-change pit in his backyard garage!
It wasn't a particularly old house; 1950s vintage I suppose.
It was covered with planks much of the time, but I recall seeing "Butch" down there with a hanging lamp a few times. I never knew how he got down there; most likely a ladder since there wasn't room for a set of stairs.
I used to work in a garage that had an indoor grease pit, where there were numerous instances of human error resulting in injury. Whoops, plop!
I can't imagine one uncovered and outdoors. Talk about an accident waiting to happen!
I live near Clermont-Ferrand, France, the historical birthplace of the Michelin Company, so this Michelin tires ad in 1925 in the USA is a pretty interesting sight. Thanks Shorpy.com !
This eastern continuation of Military Road is now part of Missouri Avenue. There has been a service station on this intersection all of those years.
To the left of the station is a service pit for changing oil and greasing bearings. No need to crawl under the car, just walk down a few stairs and look up.
Compared to the pitiable "Gas Shack," the Texaco chain obviously attended business school and learned all about brand development and image. Consistent use of logos, repeated everywhere, and a snappy little iconic building, presumably out of the corporate stylebook, promoting respectability through "better architecture," and even though standardized, still made of solid materials.
Inflation must not have been an issue back then. I can remember paying that same 23 cents in 1968.
Brand new housing complex, "6 rooms, $8450."
Appear to be pretty nice housing, definitely lots of porch area.
This view is looking northwest to the corner of Georgia Avenue and Rock Creek Ford Road, NW. The rowhouses in the background are still standing which front on Rock Creek Ford Road at the corner of Piney Branch Road.
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