A.F. Steiner Super Service Station at Harper and Harvard, Detroit, Michigan, August 1934

As gasoline stations spread from downtowns to residential areas in the mid-1910s, oil companies were sensitive to residents' concerns about unsightly commercial buildings invading their neighborhoods. After all, the companies counted on those residents to become regular customers. Architects designed charming buildings, like this Spanish Mission style station, that were pleasing to the eye and complementary to a neighborhood's character.