restoration of a 1930's Texaco in Decatur Il

There are several pages that show how this neglected service station was brought from the edge of abandoned neglect to primo condition in every way, but there is a terrific slide show at http://www.decaturtexaco.com/the-transformation.html that you just push the forward button to see all sides and interior areas compared in a before and after. http://www.decaturtexaco.com/the-transformation.html

The forest green roof and white color scheme is period perfect, researched by Nims and corroborated by ancient paint chips uncovered during the restoration. The cute colored advertising globe lights on little parapets adorning the roof have been put back in place, and a stained glass light-up Texaco star over the entrance shines out proudly after it was fabricated to match a missing original.

The big Texaco hanging sign crowning the forecourt is an original that Nims hunted up online, and the 14-foot fluted metal pole it hangs from were commissioned for the purpose. Matching 10-foot light poles � two at the front, two at the back � of the 80-foot-long forecourt were another re-created touch.

The 1,200-square-foot-building features work bays at the east and west ends with a little office in the middle flanked by a bathroom small enough to fit comfortably inside a Toyota Prius; hard-working auto service guys in the 1930s clearly weren�t meant to park themselves in the restrooms for extended periods. The work areas are lit by 6-by-6-foot windows that let vast quantities of daylight drive through the interior.

�There are over 300 panes of glass in this building, I do know that,� says Nims, 62. �I had to replace them all.�

Info and star photo from a big article on http://herald-review.com/news/local/effort-to-restore-a-s-gas-station-adds-fuel-to/article_b1b0cab2-1c39-11e2-87e4-001a4bcf887a.html