The Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) and the San Antonio Conservation Society initiated a historic gas station survey in 2012 in response to the recent loss of several of these iconic structures. The Conservation Society had previously undertaken a gas station survey in 1983, documenting those stations located within the 36-square-mile city limits and built between 1915 and 1940.
The first step in the 2012 survey was to revisit the gas stations previously inventoried to determine if the structures were still standing and to get current photos and information about each building. Survey volunteers re-inventoried all of the nearly 400 gas stations first documented in 1983. Many of the gas stations from the 1983 survey are gone, but a surprising number of the buildings were still intact.
As a result, more than three dozen properties were identified as eligible for local landmark designation. On May 3, OHP and the Conservation Society co-hosted a Preservation Month event titled "San Antonio or Bust: Historic Landscapes of the American Road Trip" celebrating the rich collection of historic roadside architecture in San Antonio, including these gas stations and gathered feedback on the potentially eligible properties. Based on the community input, OHP is moving forward with a Finding of Historic Significance for the properties listed below.