History

Then and Now: Minute Service Station No. 1

by Kent Boese   •   July 8, 2010 4:00 pm

As the area north of Farragut Square transitioned away from its residential roots the area built up and changed quickly. The northwest corner of 17th and L Streets, NW, gives an indication of the speed of that change.

The historic image above shows the site in early 1922. The filling station under construction was designed by R.F. Beresford for the Washington Accessories Co. in 1921. In looking at the image, the Dome of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle is clearly visible.

As shown in the following photographs, by late 1922 the filling station was completed. In the final image taken sometime after 1925, L Street Garage, also by Beresford and built in 1923, occupies the site west of the filling station and the Mayflower Hotel obscures the view of the cathedral.

Historic images from Library of Congress.

Kent Boese posts items of historic interest primarily within the District. He's worked in libraries since 1994, both federal and law, and currently works on K Street. He lives in the Park View neighborhood, and is the force behind the blog Washington Kaleidoscope.