Standard Oil Gas Station (Odell)

About

We preserve one of Odell’s most recognizable reminders of the early automobile era, built in 1932 by local contractor Patrick O’Donnell beside Route 66. O’Donnell based the station on a 1916 Standard Oil of Ohio “house with canopy” design, a domestic-looking style intended to feel familiar and welcoming to motorists. The station originally sold Standard Oil products and later carried Phillips 66 and Sinclair brands as ownership and leases changed. A two-bay garage was eventually added so the business could offer repairs and compete with the numerous filling stations that once served this busy stretch of the Mother Road.

After its service-station years ended, the building deteriorated until the community rallied around its preservation. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, and restoration brought back its period appearance with vintage-style pumps, signage and roadside details. Today, the Village of Odell owns the station and operates it seasonally as a welcome center where visitors can explore Route 66 history and imagine what stopping here felt like during the highway’s heyday. The preservation project received the National Historic Route 66 Federation’s Cyrus Avery Award in 2002, recognizing the station as an outstanding Route 66 preservation effort.

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