Embassy Gulf Service Station, Neoclassical gas station in Dupont Circle, United States.
The Embassy Gulf Service Station is a filling station in Dupont Circle featuring limestone walls, Tuscan columns, and decorative fan transoms. The building combines classical details with practical service bays, creating a structure that functions as both fuel stop and repair workshop.
Architect P.L.R. Hogner designed this structure in 1936 for Gulf Oil Corporation as part of an effort to elevate the standard of gas station design across America. The building represents a corporate commitment to merging everyday commerce with refined architecture during the Depression era.
This station represents a time when gas stations were designed as refined structures worthy of any civic building, blending commerce with architectural dignity. The building shows how Americans once viewed filling stations as status symbols of modernity and progress.
The station sits on P Street near Rock Creek Park, an area with strict historic oversight that affects any changes to the building. Since it remains an active fuel and repair facility, visitor access may be limited depending on business operations.
The building underwent numerous design reviews by the Commission on Fine Arts and National Park Service because of its proximity to Rock Creek Park. This reveals how even modest commercial structures in sensitive locations face careful architectural scrutiny from multiple government bodies.
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