[Suburbia Lost] Shell Station - Symmes Township

An abandoned Shell gasoline station off of Montgomery Rd. in Symmes Township, near Loveland and Mason.

Since the automobile rose to dominate the American transportation spectrum, filling stations have come ro reinvent themselves through the years. Gone are the days of classic "petroliana" with clean cut employees pumping the gas to mega-stations with nearly every kind of convenience in mind. From car washes to groceries to premium fuel blends, gas stations have reinvented themselves to become one stop shops. Their wide parking lots are typically dominated by large roofs with fluorescent lights and they're a dime a dozen in the suburban landscape.

When abandoned, they rapidly deteriorate, such as this one - now a "shell" of its former life where the car wash has become a canvas for local wannabe "hood rats."