Husky Service Station

Purity 99 Service Station

In the early days of the automobile, fuel was dispensed at curbside using adapted kerosene pumps, and repairs were commonly undertaken by the local blacksmith. The purpose-built service station emerged on the North American landscape in the early 1029s. As oil companies vied for market share and customer loyalty, clean, efficient, recognizable stations became the industry’s standard of excellence. Marketing strategies included corporate branding, giveaways, and friendly customer service.

During the 1930s and early forties, Purity 99 and other oil companies built many service stations in the Moderne Style. The building forms were simple rectangular shapes combined with feature wrap-around curves. Buildings were finished in white stucco and ornamentation was limited to a horizontal band or series of lines called “speed whiskers” which gave a streamlined look. Street presence was further enhanced by a simple vertical element such as a pillar, circle, or step-form silhouette. The stations were touted as being modern in every way: attractive, bright, clean, efficient and fireproof.

The recreation of the Purity 99 service station has been named to recognize its corporate sponsor, Husky Energy.