Greenbelt in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Gas Station

Photographed by Tom Fuchs, February 24, 2006

1. Gas Station Marker

Inscription. A gas station has stood on this site since the opening of the town in 1937. Notice that the rounded glass facade is gone from the original building and that a garage has been added on the right side. Initially, like all the other businesses in Greenbelt, the filling station was run as a cooperative. In 1956 the Co-op gas station moved to a new building on Southway near the intersection at Greenbelt Road, and the building in front of you became independently owned by “Flying A”. In 1967 Mobil took over the station. Much of the original building still exists underneath the contemporary exterior. Walk around the back of the gas station and try to spot the older elements of the building.

Cars were indispensable in this new suburban community. In 1939, when owning a car was still considered a luxury, 65% of Greenbelt households owned an automobile. In 1938 the gas station charged $1.25 for an oil change, and the price for gasoline was 23 cents per gallon (about $2.30 in 1999 dollars). Carpools and a bus that connected with the streetcar line transported Greenbelt residents to jobs in Washington, D.C.

Erected by Greenbelt Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars

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• Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.

Location. 39° 0.098′ N, 76° 52.489′ W. Marker is in Greenbelt, Maryland, in Prince George's County. It is at the intersection of Crescent Road and Centerway and Gardenway, on the right on Crescent Road. Marker is in front of the Mobil station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 161 Centerway, Greenbelt MD 20770, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Roosevelt Center (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Greenbelt Homes Inc. (about 700 feet away); Swimming Pool (about 800 feet away); City of Greenbelt (about 800 feet away); Eleanor Roosevelt (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenbelt.

Additional commentary.
1. Woody’s Flying A
I want to add that I remember Woody and his Flying A station well. I hung out there and at the fire station right next door (to the left in this photo). Also fooling around in the winter, sleigh-riding down to the underpass (to the right in this photo).

— Submitted May 16, 2007, by Dennis Evanosky
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, February 24, 2006

2. The Historic Mobil Gasoline Station
of Oakland, California.

2. Change of Brands
The gas station now sells Sunoco gasoline.

— Submitted December 26, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,016 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 22, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the former fire station and the slope to the underpass • Can you help?