Former 1920s Gasoline Service Station in WI

Wadhams Gas Station, West Allis Wisconsin

Date added: September 08, 2024

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The Wadhams Gas Station is one of only two gas stations remaining in West Allis built during the 1920s.

The village of West Allis was incorporated in 1902. It is located due west of the Milwaukee manufacturing districts of Walker's Point and the Menomonee River Valley. Milwaukee's industrial areas influenced the character of West Allis. Two years before the village incorporated, Charles Allis agreed to move the very large and growing E. P. Allis Company from Milwaukee to West Allis. During the first part of the 20^th Century other manufacturing concerns either moved to West Allis or started their enterprises in this industrial suburb. Many ethnic groups moved to West Allis to be near the newly developing industrial opportunities.

The industrial character of West Allis diminished in the 1980s when the Allis-Chalmers Company closed. Other industries also closed in West Allis during this era of national contraction in the manufacturing economic sector. Since then, new types of businesses have moved into West Allis. Printing and post-secondary education are two examples. A strong retail district has developed in West Allis. A small number of nationally leading manufacturers also have moved into West Allis. While the number of manufacturing companies has declined, West Allis remains a distinctly industrial suburb.

At the turn of the 20^th Century changes in the transportation of goods, services and people began to appear. While railroads were the main carriers, automobiles were gaining popularity. Important to the growth in the use of automobiles was the development of the gas station.

When automobiles first appeared, car owners purchased gasoline at a petroleum depot, dry goods store or repair shop and carried the gasoline home in containers. As a result, most automobile owners stored their gasoline at home. This hazardous routine was gradually eliminated by the development of gas pumps. Gas pumps moved gasoline from a gas drum stored at a petroleum distributor directly to the vehicle, while measuring the amount of product purchased by the customer. The ability to safely store gasoline and easily dispense gasoline enabled the gasoline distributor to offer a readily available source of gasoline without the auto owner taking on unnecessary risks.

The gas station evolved with the technology of gas pumping. In 1905, the invention of the gravity-fed gas delivery system allowed the gas distributor to pour gas from the gasoline tank directly into the automobile. Because gravity-fed gas systems required large, elevated tanks, their availability was limited to outlying areas of a city. In the same year, a hand pump, invented to move water more easily up through a well, was adapted to gas distribution. A hand pump attached to a gas drum with a hose could pour gasoline directly into the automobile. These hand pumps could measure the amount of gas poured into a vehicle, and when combined with waterproof cabinets, the pumps could be locked and left out all night.

The precursor to the modern-day gas stations, according to Daniel I. Vieyra in his book Fill'er Up: The Architectural History of America's Gas Stations, was the Automobile Gas Company in St. Louis. This former bulk storage provider of wholesale gasoline moved the large gas tanks underground and put the gas pump curbside where autos drove up for a refill. These curbside gas stations became popular, but caused congestion on busy roadsides. As a result, gasoline pumps were moved onto a separate lot.

Gas pumps were set alongside buildings where sales were recorded and automobile goods and services were offered. The gas station prototype, developed solely to service automobiles, had come onto the American landscape.

As gasoline station prototypes evolved, an office space was often added to an existing storage shed, bicycle repair shop, or blacksmith shop along with the gasoline pumps. Sometimes larger sheds were built to serve as storage for many cars; early automobile driving was limited to the warmer seasons. As free-standing stations were created solely for gas distribution they were sited along busy streets, usually on a corner for accessibility to two different streets. Most of the early gas stations were simple utilitarian gable structures with no attempt to attract customers, other than by word of mouth; they had more in common with lumberyards and petroleum tank yards. This early design was called the "shed" by John A. Jakle and Keith A. Sculle in their book, The Gas Station in America. The preceding architectural style they referred to as the "curbside" gas stations.

A more defined gas station type of architecture developed as gas retailers entered neighborhoods to be closer to automobile owners. Residential-looking designs reduced neighborhood resistance to gas station siting. The "house" type of gas station building contained a small office with storage space and restrooms. Some house-type gas stations featured an "English cottage" look with awnings, chimneys and shutters. They also featured a large window to display petroleum products. Other popular types of "house" style gas stations imitated popular residential designs of the era: Craftsman, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival. The dominant house-type station design of the 1920s was modified with an attached canopy over the gas pumps and, often, a detached auto repair area. The canopy complemented the roofline of the building and enhanced the particular design of the gas station. Also during the 1920s the house concept was enlarged to include bays for servicing automobiles. Owners attempted to provide additional services while keeping the residential flavor of their gas stations. The service bays repeated the design of the main office area of the gas station.

Automobile use expanded quickly and standardized gas stations were built as retailers expanded into regional markets. Uniform station designs were adopted for particular gasoline brands. As long distance driving became more popular, recognizable designs helped convince customers that they could trust the same brand in different locations or cities. Some operators attempted to distinguish their stations with unique designs. They appealed to the adventure of the open road, and also to weary travelers with reminders of home. A variety of thematic gas stations resulted with standardized brand specific designs. Texaco developed a Spanish-influenced design. Pure Oil distinguished its products with an English cottage style. Some Shell gas stations were even built in the shape of sea shells.

Standardization of the look of a particular gasoline distributor's stations allowed operators to construct their gas stations at a lower building cost. Because the routes of early highways changed frequently, a newly paved road may be developed away from the current site of a gas station. The operator wanted a low cost building or one with the flexibility to disassemble and move it to a more profitable site.

The decreased demand for gasoline and increased competition during the Great Depression led to consolidation of local and regional gas distributors. Retailers placed emphasis on marketing more profitable items like tires, batteries and accessories. Repair bays were enlarged or added to existing stations to attract more service-oriented customers to compensate for lower gasoline sales. The buildings became much larger. Stylish roof lines gave way to flat roofs covering boxy rectilinear masses. The bays, office and display areas were designed uniformly. The style of the period became known as the "oblong box".

By the 1960s, the public demanded the removal of "icebox" looking oblong gas stations and many stations were remodeled with decorative features, including overhangs, brick veneer and darker colors. The ranch style popular among residences was adopted by many new gas stations. In the 1970s gas station design continued with distinctive styles. One major chain introduced mansard roofs. Another added rafters underneath hip roofs topped by cupolas. In the last 20 years a new style has appeared with a canopy over the gas pumps with a small booth for the attendant. Convenience stores selling gas have replaced many gas stations with unattended gas pumps covered by a monumental canopy.

The history of Wadham Oil Company reflects the national development of the gasoline industry. In 1879, Edward A. Wadham started a grease blending business serving tanning and brewing companies in Milwaukee. The company grew slowly as Wadham had to convince customers of the dependable performance of petroleum-based lubricants. At that time most lubricants were made of vegetable or animal oils. Wadham brought in additional financial backing, and in 1903 the business was renamed Wadham Oil Co.

In 1916, Harger W. Dodge, Wadham's son-in-law, now in charge of Wadham Oil Co. saw a business opportunity in addressing problems of safe storage and convenient access to gasoline by constructing a series of gas stations. The typical gas station at the time was a shed. Dodge wanted to distinguish Wadham Oil Co. gas stations from the rest of the market. Dodge contacted Alexander C. Eschweiler, noted Milwaukee architect of period revival buildings, who designed the prototype Wadhams pagoda style gas station.

The oriental style of Eschweiler's stations appealed to the motoring public's sense of adventure. Oriental architectural motifs were not completely foreign at that time. The Chicago World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 in St. Louis featured Japanese pavilions with similar forms and proportions to the first Wadhams station. Eschweiler's professional library contained several books and magazine articles about Japanese and Chinese architecture which may have provided inspiration for his eye-grabbing design.

The first Wadhams gas station built in 1917 in Milwaukee was a great success. Over 100 were built in the Midwest during the 1920s, although only a handful remain. The Wadhams gas station pagoda designs were of two types: three-sided and four-sided. The three-sided was built to abut an existing wall. The four-sided stood freely like the gas station at 1647 S. 76^th Street. Both types were built to be easily moved to a new location. In the 1930s Wadhams built larger gas stations in the pagoda style. The architect for these later buildings was Hugo Haeuser and the contractor, C.B. Danielson. There is confusion about the architect of the Wadhams gas station on 1647 S. 76^th Street.

A July 1981 West Allis Historical/Architectural Survey stated the architect was Hugo Haeuser. A review of the City of West Allis building permit number 12,598 dated April 4^th, 1927 indicates "owner" as the architect of record. All other literature regarding the design of this pagoda design credits Alexander C. Eschweiler, consequently the design of this station is attributed to Eschweiler.

A series of mergers began in 1929, which led to the disappearance of the Wadham Oil Co. name. In 1952 Wadham Oil Company merged with Standard Oil Company of New York. Six years later the Wadham trade name disappeared when the Wadham Division of SOCONY-Mobil was liquidated.

The Wadhams Gas Station is a house type gas station. The interior plan, composed of an office, display area and a small restroom entered by an exterior door, exemplifies the house type designs of the 1920s. The swooping red tile pagoda style roof evokes the exotic nature of the then new pass time and aspiring lifestyle of automobile travel.

Building Description

The Wadhams Gas Station was erected in 1927. It is a one-story, free-standing building with painted brick walls, resting on a poured concrete foundation. The distinctive swooping pagoda style roof with upturned corners displays a strong Oriental influence. The front of the steeply pitched roof is clad in bright red metal tiles. The back of the roof descends partway with the red tiles to a wooden cornice. Inside each gable is a lighted red "W" stained glass window for Wadhams Oil Co. Inc., the original owner of the building.

The Wadhams Gas Station is situated on the northwest corner of the busy arterial streets of National Avenue and 76^th Street in central West Allis. A modern apartment complex is located across the street on the northeast corner. To the west lies a parking lot of a church. Modern commercial buildings occupy the southeast and southwest corners of the intersection. Beyond the intersection are early to mid twentieth century homes, churches and several modern public buildings.

The Wadhams Gas Station faces east. The door is centered on the east facing facade of the building with four horizontal glass panes filling in the upper three quarter's of the door. On each side of the door are large windowpanes that line up with the door panes. The windows feature plain vertical and horizontal trimming with a plain lug sill. The surrounds of these and all other window groupings of the building contain a rounded element at each corner of the window surround.

The north elevation features two large windows. Each window has a tripartite organization. At the center of each 12 light window are four horizontal panes. To either side of the larger central pane is a smaller square pane. The placement of the windows on the side elevations corresponds with the windows on the front facade. These windows also feature plain vertical and horizontal trimming with a plain lug sill. The west half of the building steps out to the edge of the roof eave. This portion of the building contains the rest room. The door to the restroom is located in the ell created by the change in plane. The door is of the same design as the main door to the gas station.

The south facade contains a single twelve light window. A small utility room occupies the west half of the plan and elevation. There is no architectural elaboration of this portion of the building.

The west or rear elevation consists of a rectangular brick wall with painted wooden boards along the top.

The interior consists of a small office area and shelves along the windows for merchandise. There is a doorway to the storage room in the northwest corner of the interior; and there is a doorway to another storage room near the southwest area of the interior. Finishes include a combination of drywall and fiberboard on the walls, plywood panels on the ceiling, and concrete flooring.

Photos indicate that the curved brick work on the west side of the structure along the roof line was modified after 1978 to straight horizontal and vertical lines. This is located at the back of the building on a elevation and does not compromise the overall architectural integrity of the building. In addition, a renovation of the gas station was completed in May of 2000. While the finishes of the walls and roof were repaired, damaged brick and concrete replaced, and electrical wiring enhanced, the overall integrity of the Wadhams Gas Station has been maintained.