Historic gas station will reopen as a B&B May 7, 2007
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Preservation.trackback
Terri Ryburn’s parents drove Route 66 from Bloomington, Ill., to California when she was 5 years old.
She never forgot that exciting experience. She since has driven the length of the road several times. Her history doctorate focused on Route 66 tourism efforts. She’s written several books about the Mother Road.
Now she’s the owner of an enormous, historic gas station at 305 Pine St. in Normal, on the less-noted Illinois 4 alignment of 66, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph:
She bought the 75-year-old Tudor Revival-style gas station, restaurant and garage, most recently Hodge’s Bridal, at 305 Pine St., and plans to remodel it into a Route 66 visitor center, gift shop, restaurant, bed and breakfast and tea room.
She’s already got the two-story, 3,600-square-foot building accepted for the National Register of Historic Places because it’s one of few Route 66 gas stations in the country with an owner’s apartment and a tenant’s apartment on the second floor.
“It’s really unique,” said Mike Taylor, manager of the national Route 66 Corridor Preserve Program, saying he knew of only two other Route 66 gas stations in the country with living quarters. “The one in Normal is really incredible because of its size.”
Local historians figure the gas station dates to 1930 or ’31.
Ryburn figures it’s going to be at least two years to shore up the property because of its deteriorated condition. She’s also asking for help so that she can restore the station properly:
To reach the building’s original look and feel, with accurate signage, gas pumps and other characteristics, Ryburn is looking for photos of the original gas station or stories of the building. Anyone with information can e-mail Ryburn at tlrybur(at)ilstu.edu
I’m not 100 percent positive, but from the available evidence and satellite photos I’ve reviewed, I’m nearly certain sure this is a picture of the aforementioned gas station, shot by Guy Randall, the Road Wanderer, a few years ago.
Yes, this is the station in question. I’ve passed it many times when entering Normal from the north. It’s about a block down the street from the campus of what was originally the old Civil War orphanage. It’s a beautiful old building, and I’m glad it’s going to be put to such a use. I wish more people were aware of and used this alignment through the Normal/Bloomington area. From Towanda, avoid the interstate and keep on the two-lane. After driving a necessary detour through a new neighborhood right after you enter Normal, you are at the grounds of the orphanage mentioned above, then the old station. It’s the same alignment that passes through downtown Bloomington after going by the building which was the original Steak ‘n Shake. It seems that Bloomington/Normal is an area beginning to capitalize more and more on the historic Road.
Hey, I use to live up stairs when I went to ISU.
[...] by Ron in Businesses, Preservation, Restaurants. trackback A few months ago, it was reported that Terri Ryburn had purchased a historic gas station at 305 Pine St. in Normal, Ill., with the hopes of remodeling it into a bed-and-breakfast, [...]
[...] can read more about Ryburn’s project here. The $1.2 million cost is a lot, but I’m betting she will get a lot of donated materials and [...]
[...] circa-1930s station is now owned by Route 66 enthusiast Terri Ryburn, who hopes to eventually convert it into a bed-and-breakfast, cafe, visitors center and gift [...]
[...] gas station in question at 305 Pine St. is owned by Terri Ryburn. The Tudor Revival-style station was built in the 1930s and was recently added to the National [...]
There is nothing more to say – someone has really thought about this.