ST. LOUIS -- The National Trust for Historic Preservation is counting a unique gasoline station among its “Preservation Wins of 2012.”
The “Flying Saucer” Phillips 66 gas station in St. Louis nearly became a memory earlier this year until preservationists came to its defense. In its write up of the “preservation win,” the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization that has made it its mission to save America’s historic sites, stated:
We at the National Trust are in a celebratin' mood. It could be the beautiful decorations in our headquarters lobby, or the holiday cookies that keep appearing on conference tables, or the simple fact that 2012 marked some terrific achievements in preservation.
So before we all rush into 2013, eager and excited to save even more places, we just wanted to reflect on our favorite successes from this year.
“The Flying Saucer” Phillips 66 Gas Station--St. Louis
When local preservationists discovered this iconic former gas station was threatened with demolition, they launched an exceptional public campaign to save the landmark. Less than a month later, the developer who had planned to replace it with a new commercial space announced plans to preserve the flyer saucer-shaped structure.
The building was constructed in 1967 as a gasoline station. It was rehabbed to house a Starbucks café that opened in October.
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