Phillips 66 Gas Station in McLean

By: James Wilder

This is the first Phillips 66 gas station in Texas.

According to the historical plaque on the building, it was constructed and leased to Phillips in 1929.

The building is actually owned and maintained by the Texas Route 66 Association. That should ensure its safety and preservation for years to come.

It is one of the most photographed gas station on Historic Route 66.

Architectural Notes

The first thing that struck me about this building is that it is so small.

The architectural style is said to be Tudor Revival or English cottage style. This style was common to gas stations in the 1920s and 1930s.

These designs typically had high pitched roof, arched doorways and a chimney.

These cozy cottage designs came about due to the fact that early gas stations were mere shacks in residential areas. This obviously did not sit well with the neighbors. Many of the large fuel companies came up with designs that could fit comfortably amongst the neighborhood homes.

What's with the fake painted windows? I can only guess that the owners didn't want to keep replacing broken windows.

Route 66

There is a link between the Phillips 66 name and Route 66? Apparently so, according to Wikipedia.

"In 1927, the company's gasoline was being tested on U.S. Highway 66 in Oklahoma, and when it turned out that the car was going 66 mph (106 km/h), which was fast at the time, the company decided to name the new fuel Phillips 66."

Location

You can find this historic Route 66 gas station in McLean, Texas on First St. and Gray.