Bonfield's Service Station, 6124 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, Montgomery County, MD

Significance: Bonfield's Service Station is perhaps the only continually operating early twentieth century auto service station, virtually unaltered since the 1930's, in the metropolitan area. Very few changes have been made to this circa 1915 site which includes original air pump and outdoor repair pit. The garage and service station stands as a tribute to the development and growth of the age of the automobile. The effects of the automobile, seen in the tremendous increase of mobility, and thus the significance of sites such as Bonfield's Service Station have been often overlooked as part of the seemingly too recent, familiar past. Thus, although not a terribly old structure itself, the relatively recent history of the automobile makes Bonfield's a fairly early site. In addition, service industries such as automotive station are often subject to periodic upgrading, and therefore are not often long-lived. Bonfield's Service Station was established to cater to traffic along this federally owned stretch of road which is still a main route between Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Survey number: HABS MD-965

Building/structure dates: ca. 1914 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1934 Subsequent Work

automobile service stations automobile industry garages gable roofs concrete block foundations balloon frames 2 stories glen echo heights bonfield service service station macarthur macarthur boulevard glen echo glen echo montgomery county maryland walter bonfield jack e boucher catherine crawford historic american buildings survey photo bonfield service station ultra high resolution high resolution united states history gas station library of congress

1914

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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