The Complete Story
This cottage-style gas station at 620 Keokuk Street represents a fascinating chapter in American architectural history. In the late 1920s to early 1930s, oil companies like Phillips 66 hired architects to design stations that would blend into their urban surroundings rather than stand out as commercial eyesores. The result was the 'cottage style' - small buildings with residential features like peaked roofs, shutters, and domestic proportions.
Phillips 66 alone built over 500 of these cottage-style structures across the mid-section of the country over a decade, stretching from Texas to Minnesota and Colorado to Illinois. Of those 500+ stations, fewer than 100 have survived to the present day - making Lincoln's cottage station a rare survivor indeed.
The building retains its original two-door garage configuration, though one door was made smaller over the years (the old outline remains visible). The shape of the former pump island can still be seen in the concrete paving, a ghostly reminder of the thousands of Route 66 travelers who once stopped here for fuel. Today the building serves commercial purposes, its cottage appearance still distinguishing it from the modern structures around it.
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know
→ Fewer than 100 of the original 500+ cottage-style Phillips 66 stations survive today
→ The 'cottage style' was specifically designed to make gas stations BLEND IN with residential neighborhoods
→ The outline of the original pump island can still be seen in the concrete
→ One garage door was made smaller, but you can still see the original larger outline
→ Phillips built cottage stations across 8 states from Texas to Minnesota over a decade
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit Cottage Style Gas Station
✓ You Can Visit Today
Address: 620 Keokuk Street, Lincoln, IL 62656
What's There Now: Commercial building (currently houses American Environmental and D&D Complete Sewer Services) - original cottage architecture remains visible
GPS Coordinates: 40.1525546, -89.3580413
Photo Tip: Best photographed in early morning or late afternoon when the Illinois light brings out the building's character.
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