LOGAN, Utah — Gas stations are embedded in our urban and rural landscapes, symbols of the automobile's influence on 20th century America.
But they aren’t all relics of a bygone era.
One old gas station in Logan is making a comeback. At least on the inside anyway.
“This was a Sinclair station that was going back to the mid-30s,” said Tony Johnson, a local developer in Logan. “It was a little different gas station that was here, a wood brick structure with two gas pumps."
It was then replaced with the current standing structure during the 1940s where it served as a gas station for nearly 20 years.
Johnson runs a local construction development company that is restoring the old gas station. He bought the property from a friend who had used it as a car detailing shop.
This historical restoration project is one of several in Logan that Johnson has taken on over the last 15 years.
“I enjoy the history, it seems to me that too many buildings get torn down that I think could be preserved and repurposed for, you know, for some other use,” Johnson said. “But when we've had an opportunity to be able to acquire some buildings that seem to fit the that had good bones that they're worth saving.”
Johnson, who was born and raised in Logan, fixed the building’s structural needs and added original gas pumps from the vintage time period.
But instead of filling up gas tanks, this station will serve customers something more fragrant and colorful.
“And so it'll look like a like a gas Island or what have you,” Johnson said. “But it's that's all just for the aesthetics, it's going to be a flower shop.”
Local flower shop owner Haily Larsen, who owns Meraki Floral a few blocks away, has leased the space from Johnson.
“So the current place we're in right now is also a historic building,” Larsen said. "That just holds so much more soul. And that's important to me, we've been looking for new space for a little bit because the current space is pretty small.
Johnson admits that fixing vintage gas stations are a novelty, he says the benefits for the general public make it worthwhile.
“There's some benefit that's derived and returning to the community, cleaning up the corner, providing a place for somebody to run a business that's going to be supported by the community,” said Johnson. “And so we get some satisfaction out of that too.”
Larsen hopes to be more than just a floral store. She plans on making her new shop a community gathering space.
“I plan to do community dinners and classes I want to open those bay doors up and just welcome everybody,” Larsen said.
Johnson plans to be a regular customer.
“For being from Logan, I gotta buy flowers on occasion, you know I'd love to come here and buy some from her," he said.
