Shell Gas Station
Why it's listed
This small service station on Yosemite Boulevard in La Grange was built around 1920 from prefabricated tin. It consists of a main building, a projecting covered service area and a separate, free-standing restroom unit, also made of tin. Finials decorate the four corners of the flat-roofed service area, a detail the form links to the eclecticism of 1920s skyscraper caps. The restroom unit has rounded lines that reflect an early Moderne, streamlined aesthetic. The station is considered important as an example of early American service station design from the 1920s. Its prefabricated construction is also seen as representative of the growing mobility of the period. Because it shows both traditional and forward-looking design trends side by side, it is described as a rare vernacular example of its type and era. The building remains on its original site, was in good condition when documented, and continues to operate as a service station in a commercial setting. The architect and builder are unknown.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as illustrative of early U.S. service station architecture from the 1920s. Its prefabricated construction reflects the new cultural mobility. It combines traditional elements (decorative finials) with avant-garde ones (the streamlined Moderne restroom unit), and the form calls it a rare vernacular example of its type and period.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79003464, listed August 24, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Yosemite Blvd., La Grange |
|---|---|
| County | Stanislaus County |
| Listed | August 24, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003464 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Prefabricated tin vernacular service station with 1920s eclectic finials and nascent Moderne restroom unit |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in use as a service station, in good condition, with no known threats to the site. |
| Coordinates | 37.66381, -120.46254 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79003464.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55633047
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.