Gas station in Springfield

[hlongbeagle]

Hello all. Long time lurker. I have a history question that I am sure someone will be able to answer. At the corner of 8th Street and Liberty is an old time gas station. Its white Stucco. Its closed up now. But I would like to learn what the company was that was originally there and where I might be able to find some photos of it back in the day. Can anyone assist? BTW it was built in 1927!

[thelakelander]

I don't know off hand, but you should contact the City of Jacksonville's Historic Preservation Office. They'll have the necessary info you seek and if you're lucky, maybe a picture too.

http://www.coj.net/departments/planning-and-development/community-planning-division/contact-us

[Bill Hoff]

Hello all. Long time lurker. I have a history question that I am sure someone will be able to answer. At the corner of 8th Street and Liberty is an old time gas station. Its white Stucco. Its closed up now. But I would like to learn what the company was that was originally there and where I might be able to find some photos of it back in the day. Can anyone assist? BTW it was built in 1927!

The address is 252 E. 8th Street. It's featured in Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage, which has good information about it:
http://www.jaxhistory.org/product/jacksonvilles-architectural-heritage/

If you'd like to contact the current owner, let me know. Not sure he has any insight about it, however.

[hlongbeagle]

Thanks but I see its no longer in print. I will check the library and Chamblins to see if they might have a copy I can look at.

[Bill Hoff]

It's easy find. Out of stock doesn't mean out of print, I'd just call and ask. You can also find it at the library or Amazon.com.

[acme54321]

Thanks but I see its no longer in print. I will check the library and Chamblins to see if they might have a copy I can look at.

The book store in San Marco should have copies.

[strider]

so should Chamblins.  Also, check out the sanborn maps and the city directories at the library.  They can tell you a lot about the history of a building and even what was there prior to the gas station being built. SIAA also has most structures on their site.http://springfieldheritagecenter.org/

[thelakelander]

The special collections department in the main public library has at least two copies of the book behind their desk. Every now and then, I use it or research when I'm there checking out the Sanborns. It's a good quick reference for basic info when starting your research efforts but you'll get more in-depth detail from COJ's historic preservation office.

[chris farley]

There was a large house there carrying the same street number as this present station,  as its address - the footprint of the house is shown in the 1913 Sanborn.  By the time of the 1951 Sanborn the gas station had been built, its footprint is shown.   The shared address of the now gas station was picked up in the 85 survey but no photo or written history produced.  Possibly because the history was muddled by this shared number. It was a mistake in the past to allow a new building on a plot where one had been razed to carry the same street number, since the danger is that the newer building will likely pick up the history of the lost building.  In this case following the history of a gas station by its address, that suddenly was shown as a private house must have thrown people off.
There are certain circumstances in Springfield where this has happened, for instance two houses on the SW corner of Silver and W 4th - they carry the history of ginger breaded blue house behind them. Actually they were built in the side yard of this corner property and it was the address of the blue building that was changed.  Now, if a building is razed  its street number is retired, it is shown in the maps as a zero.
This gas station was built between 1913 and 1935, I am going to find out.  There are sister gas stations in the neighborhood.

[chris farley]

Thank you