Read about the station, designed by architect and preservationist Albert Simons
When the Gabriel Manigault House—a two-story home constructed by the wealthy American architect in 1802 at the southeast corner of Meeting and George streets—as well as three more historical homes nearby were demolished in 1929 to build two gas stations on Meeting Street, the destruction was met with public outcry. In fact, it helped inspire Charleston City Council to create the country’s first historic district and Board of Architectural Review. In response, the Standard Oil Company hired preservation architect Albert Simons to construct the station at 108 Meeting Street in a Colonial Revival style using wood and brickwork from the former Manigault residence. When Batson’s Exxon Station (pictured here with owner C.R. “Charlie” Batson and his wife) closed in 1981, just after this photograph was taken, the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) acquired the building and opened the Frances R. Edmunds Center for Historic Preservation there in 1985. Today, the building serves as Shop Historic Charleston, HCF’s flagship retail space, which helps to fund the organization’s preservation efforts.
