Allen Tire Company and Gas Station

The Allen Tire Company and Gas Station was a Craftsman-style, purpose-built gas station located in Prescott (Nevada County). Constructed in 1924, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 25, 2001. The building burned around 2019 and no longer exists.

The building was constructed by Henry Harrison Allen after his retirement from the lumber industry in 1924. Built on the corner of the same lot as his home, the station was located at 228 First Street Southwest. (First Street is also U.S. Highway 67.) The Allen family operated a combined gas station and tire company in the building, and for at least part of that period, the station sold Magnolia-brand gasoline. Allen operated the station until his death in 1936. Allen’s daughter Thorn Hesterly took over operation of the business following his death, and the building then served as a restaurant, insurance company, and hair salon, as well as additional periods as a gas station. Upon Hesterly’s death in 1996, the property was sold to the Hamilton family, who demolished the family home next to the station. Private owners purchased the property in 2013.

The building faced southeast and was fronted by a large arched car canopy. A concrete sidewalk separated the building from the street. The canopy was supported by two arches constructed from brick pillars. A raised platform with a gas pump was located under the canopy but was removed at an unknown date. The gas pumps were formerly located under these arches but were removed in 1996. Another set of small arches was located between the large arches of the canopy and the main building. Two doors were located on the front of the building, with a wooden single-leaf door with a three-paned window topped by a transom located to the left and a wooden light door to the right followed by a set of three-over-one windows. The door on the left opened to the women’s restroom, while the other door led into the building. The men’s restroom was located inside of the building. The exterior of the building included bricks on the lower half topped with a stucco veneer. On part of the building, the original brick was covered with vinyl siding. Two windows were present on southwest side of the building, while one was located on the northeast side. A small metal building was attached to the rear of the structure.

Several Craftsman details appeared throughout the structure, including the many arches and the exposed raftertails. Other Craftsman details included the three-over-one windows located on the front of the building and the brick and stucco exterior. It was the last Craftsman-style service station remaining in Prescott in the twenty-first century.

By 2019, the station was abandoned. A fire on an unknown date destroyed part of the southwest wall and caused heavy damage to other portions of the building, and the lot was eventually cleared. It was delisted from the National Register on September 30, 2019.

For additional information:
“Allen Tire Company and Gas Station.” National Register for Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Office, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/NE0072.nr.pdf (accessed April 27, 2020).

David Sesser
Henderson State University