the 1933 service station restoration, Kenosha WI

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

Hello, just starting a thread to post the restoration of my 1933 service station on Roosevelt road in Kenosha WI. the place has been abandoned for YEARS, and is a total wreck. the plaster and concrete over the brick walls was so deteriorated that when i touched it it crumbled to the floor. some of it was stuck tho so i had to pick away at some of it. ripped up the two layers of floor, and cleaned out the junk. at this point i need to plaster some of the walls and rewire it. then i can clean off the brick and then paint what wont be bare brick. i got the air compressor working as well as the lift too. the addition was added in 1971. the earliest shop name i could find was "rudys atco service station" which was late 50s early 60s. someone told me they worked there in the early 50s and it was a shell.

http://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/429858_10150557554779683_119700600_n.jpg(and no its not still available :pimpflash

)

if anyone has any info on the building please feel free! id love to hear it. i also found the big metal pole for opening the big windows yesterday up in the rafters.

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

heres a few more.

307869_10150351854694683_672319682_7938348_1493196935_n.jpg

319542_10150351854734683_672319682_7938349_1572795504_n.jpg

291877_10150351854319683_672319682_7938338_542953084_n.jpg

JC23 · Oct 14, 2011

That is Uber Kool! I'll be watching this one.

930dreamer · Oct 14, 2011

Very cool,what are your plans(work wise) for it other then the resto?

Mmfh · Oct 14, 2011

That place is totally cool. I can't think of a better term for it right now. Are you going to make a business out of it again, which would be awesome, or are you going to have a nostalgia toy shop?

Which ever way you go you have a nice little piece of history there. I'm going to follow what you do to it.

Mm

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

930dreamer said:
Very cool,what are your plans(work wise) for it other then the resto?

hotrod shop(theres another newer half that doesnt need any restoration thats big enough for 4 cars plus tools) and i will also be selling old parts and speed parts, as well as some collectable car stuff. eventually i want to have a mobile classic car service, flathead parts and early stuff ect.

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

Mmfh said:
That place is totally cool. I can't think of a better term for it right now. Are you going to make a business out of it again, which would be awesome, or are you going to have a nostalgia toy shop?

Which ever way you go you have a nice little piece of history there. I'm going to follow what you do to it.

Mm

yes it will be a business again! just not pumping any gas haha. the tanks were taken up in 87. one fuse box marked "ethyl pump" crazy right? i think atco sold that type of stuff.

funny you should mention about the toy shop, because it was a toy and hobby shop in the 90s.

Omphaloskeptic · Oct 14, 2011

Congratulations on becoming an owner of a piece of American history! Best of luck on this journey and enjoy every bit of blood, sweat, and tears it'll take to make it live again.

As for its history and pictures, you might have some good luck with local historical groups, chamber of commerce archives, local newspaper microfilm, old neighbors on the block, and maybe even the records of the local churches. When I wanted to see what my old house looked like when it was built (1954), I contacted the county offices and for a small fee, they sent me an 8"x10" B&W glossy photo taken in the 1955 photo survey done for assessment purposes.

Good Hunting!

boohocky · Oct 14, 2011

That's cool there, i'm jealous.

Rscabrio · Oct 14, 2011

Cool place mate keep the pics coming

wingrider · Oct 14, 2011

Wil be following this one with envy. looking forward to seeing more pics

camarotoolman · Oct 14, 2011

very cool. I hope you don't have a prblem with in ground gas tanks and in ground lift.

aussiesteve · Oct 14, 2011

Will be following with great interest .l am sure many others would love to able do the same .

A**holes Garage · Oct 14, 2011

Rag Roc · Oct 14, 2011

Too cool, can't wait to see what you do with the place.

bazzateer · Oct 14, 2011

Damn this office computer, can't see pics until I get home tonight!

lowbucktruck · Oct 14, 2011

Whoa, so cool! That place has some character. Glad to hear you are going to renovate it. And the lift is working! :thumbup:

CARS · Oct 14, 2011

Very cool!

I laughed when you posted a pick of the "washroom" sign. My '48 Mobil station had 2 bathrooms (I took out the common wall and made 1 useable one). The one inside, right behind my desk, has the same style sign that says "MEN". The bathroom that was accessible from the outside of the building says "WOMEN"!

I guess it could have been worse, one could say "White Only".

dittle fart around · Oct 14, 2011

I'd turn it into a house. How cool would it be to have your bed on the lift.

jeffmoss26 · Oct 14, 2011

Very cool!! Subscribing right now!

richtersrodz · Oct 14, 2011

Oh wow..!! I'd love to find something like this and turn it into a rod shop.. Very cool..

camarotoolman · Oct 14, 2011

Make it into a resturant like Quaker Steak and Lube in sharon, Pa.

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

camarotoolman said:
very cool. I hope you don't have a prblem with in ground gas tanks and in ground lift.

gas tanks were taken up in 87, and the ground soil cleaned. the lift seems ok but i guess we will see.

tinbender 66 · Oct 14, 2011

You're livin' my dream!!!

JamieK · Oct 14, 2011

Check with the senoir citizens center across the street. There might be some memories of the place in there.

Jvvmusme · Oct 14, 2011

jealous, envy... no words to describe the feeling.

Very indicrete to ask how much you paid ?

Zeke · Oct 14, 2011

The only problem with old buildings now is lead. Since it's a commercial building, the current EPA laws don't stretch that far. But they will eventually, so git er done.

In CA , that building would not exist and it's too bad.

JimDon · Oct 14, 2011

Isn't that just down the street from the old Ford garage and near an ethnic bakery (I forgot the name of the bakery, sorry.) ??
Cheers, JimDon

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

are you talking about olivers?

and its a block north and east of andys drive in(couldnt find a picture of the building online but its cool)

theres a few old garages near it, and some old factorys. the smoke stack sticking up in the one picture is actually from the factory behind it.

MartyO · Oct 14, 2011

Way cool!

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

kenosha is an awesome town for old stuff, i almost rented an old ww2 bomb factory across from the old chrysler engine plant(which is also cool, and shutting down) but the bomb factory was kinda setup wierd, and the only garage door lead out to this other little shops driveway which they had packed full of junk cars and they wanted me to pay a monthly fee to use MY door. pretty stupid.

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

Jvvmusme said:
jealous, envy... no words to describe the feeling.

Very indicrete to ask how much you paid ?

trust me i cant even believe it myself. im renting to buy right now actually. but im hoping that i can take all this work to the bank and show them that im a serious buyer, im a young guy so its hard to get them to take me seriously.

i cannot wait until this is parked out front and see the looks on peoples faces. no one does stuff like this around here, its all 80s looking street rods and muscle cars.

295875_10150355408444683_672319682_7954666_1228006550_n.jpg

Capt Chrysler · Oct 14, 2011

Freakeee Kool!

Capt. Chrysler

colt zantop · Oct 14, 2011

very cool! keep us updated with pics!

fergus · Oct 14, 2011

Epic.

Amitygravel · Oct 14, 2011

1948
Welcome to the GJ !
Very cool place , keep the photos coming as you get stuff done.

zman · Oct 14, 2011

Very cool, I wish I could pick it up and drop it on my property.

1948 said:
i cannot wait until this is parked out front and see the looks on peoples faces. no one does stuff like this around here, its all 80s looking street rods and muscle cars.

You'd be surprised, they may not go to the local cruise in stuff but they are there, I have a couple club brothers that are in that area.

71flh · Oct 14, 2011

I love it!

I've always wanted a warehome. Picture an old brick building with living space that flows into garage type space. Light on living and heavy on garage.

People ask why would I want a ratty old building where I can drive a car into what amounts to the living room. If you have to ask...

JimDon · Oct 14, 2011

Yes, I believe it was Oliver's I was thinking about. The old Ford garage is on the other side of the street and maybe a couple blocks east. But I haven't been there for years, and the memory fades.

Your reference to the bomb factory did recall some memories from those dark recesses in my brain, however. During WWII, American Motors, (it was Nash Motors in those days), was building airplane engines for the war effort. Of course, in those days, central air was non-existent, and if you wanted cool air at night, you kept your windows open. My parents lived in the city and Nash ran test cells with aircraft engines wide open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the war was ended. SO -- you had to learn how to sleep with the drone of aircraft engines resonating throughout the city all day and all night long. I guess they learned to live with it and sleep at night all right though.
Thanks for some memories of my original hometown.
Jim

1948 · Oct 14, 2011

wow, thank you for taking the time to share those memories with us! thats really cool to hear about.

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