While the news that the Yorktown Plaza made the register of historic places in Windsor was on the front page, the news of the other buildings being added were less sexy, like the former FINA station at Tecumseh & Bruce (For the previous discussion of this place, you want this post from Feb. 2007) .
There was some discussion of if the building is worthy of inclusion or not at the heritage committee meeting, but it is a unique design, and of the hundreds that were built, this is one of the few that is almost in original condition.
While going through some various photos of mine, I came across this photo of an old FINA station in Listowell, Ontario. It hasn’t fared as well.
Historic? Maybe not today, but how about in 30 or 40 years when we’ll all be telling our grandchildren about how cars used to run on gas….
I wish that an arrangement can be made with the property owner sometime in the future that allows for the building to be moved to Heritage Village. It can be restored and placed in context there, instead of slowly deteriorating further where it is.
There is an old Fina Station on the SE corner of Seminole & Labadie. It’s a used car lot now but the building hasn’t been altered all that much and is very recognizable. I’ll have to take a couple of shots when I’m out that way again. I was a kid when I watched this one built.
Back where I grew up–north of Hamilton there was/is an old FINA station on the NW corner of Highways 5 & 6 (Clappisons Corners) — that for many years operated as an ice cream stand called “Gypsies”…it was a truncated version–the round-glassed in portion only without the attached service bays. Have driven by several times in the past couple of years but always forget to see if it’s still there.
It’s the little things that were unique to a certain time that need saving. The little, everyday things. Googie style Dennys Resturants for example that used to be a dime a dozen. Gulf Oil gas stations used to have a common design, but they’re pretty much all gone now. Sad.