An outdoor benefit concert by a local country-music band for the Sprague’s Super Service station in Normal, Illinois, will be coupled with free tours of the historic facility Sunday by owner Terri Ryburn, reported WJBC radio.
Sprague’s Super Service 305 E. Pine St. in Normal is hosting an outdoor concert from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The local classic country group Wagon Load A Trouble will perform and an authentic Route 66 road marker will be raffled. […]
The event is free but donations are encouraged to help with restoration. Ryburn said the goal is to restore the building to its original 1930s form while adding a visitors center, coffee shop, entertainment space and a bed and breakfast.
“The short term goal now is to finish the downstairs and rent that out as event space, so I can get some income to finish my plans,” Ryburn said. “I can’t afford the equipment for a restaurant now.”
Ryburn told the radio station that renovations on the station are about halfway done, and several thousands of dollars are needed to finish it.
You can hear Ryburn’s 13-minute interview on the station below.
The Sprague station was built in 1931 on Route 66 by William Sprague. It was a unique in it was designed as a gas station and residence. It sold City Service gas, but morphed into other businesses by the 1940s, and the pumps were removed by 1979. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
Terri Ryburn purchased the station in 2006.
(Image of Sprague Super Service station by Larry Myhre via Flickr)
The event was very successful, thanks to Wagon Load A Trouble for providing a free concert and Illinois Route 66 Byways for providing a sign to raffle off. I’m glad that so many people came out–maybe as many as 200! People seemed to have a lot of fun and enjoyed touring the building. The event raised over $2,000 which means I will be able to finish the electrical downstairs and maybe even have a little plumbing work done. I’m moving forward and appreciate the interest in the building.