Visitors to downtown Perry will notice the old filling station at Third and Willis is looking a little more spruce than usual. In fact, it hasn’t gleamed like this since the 1950s.
That is just the effect that Joe Unger of Perry is aiming for with his restoration of the old Perry Oil Co. station at 1223 Willis Ave. The business opened in 1935 and last served as an auto service center in about 1972 for the Montgomery Ward store next door.
“I’m trying to keep the two front rooms as close to their original condition as possible,” Unger said Friday as he applied decals to the recently restored gasoline pumps out front. “They started here in 1935, but I’m restoring it to the period from the end of the war to 1960.”
Unger said he will not be trading out of the old filling station. It is not a business but a labor of love by a hobbyist in car restoration who has a fondness for period automotive decor.
He said he took some hints from pictures in “Perry’s Memory Lane,” a 2016 publication of the Perry Historic Preservation Commission, and from some pictures in the Hometown Heritage archive.
“It was Keith’s Service, and they sold Apco gas,” Unger said. ‘From the phone number, I would guess that picture is from the 1950s or ’60s.”
He said he picks up a lot of vintage decor at auctions and has chosen the dinosaur-themed Sinclair brand of gasoline for the station’s two restored but non-working gas pumps.
“It’s nice to see the place taking shape,” Unger said. The station’s location makes it a kind of gateway to the downtown historic district and recalls the days when Perry had 25 or more gas stations, according to historic preservation commissioners.
The building housed Flowers by Joyce in the 1980s, and now is returning after many turns to its mechanical origins.
Great story and so nice to see this building looking so nice once again.
Fantastic. Remember it well.
I can remember this, and I believe Keith Warner was the manager or owner. Hope I’m correct on this info.
Details of the complete rebuild in this thread
1935 Gas Station Resurrection
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337182
What a magnificent restoration. The fact that Mr. Unger chose to restore and beautify this property on his own, without any public assistance or subsidy, speaks volumes to his character. Make no mistake, he is an asset to your community, and his contributions to the neighborhood should be applauded. Well done, sir!
I’ve admired this little station as it has been restored. So glad to see the story. I only knew it was a labor of love and so well done. It is an asset and a draw to Perry.