Eagle Rock service station on its way to Historic-Cultural Monument designation

A tiny, 1919-built Standard Oil Co. Service Station is on its way to becoming an Eagle Rock Historic-Cultural Monument.

Thursday, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission approved the nomination submitted by the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society to declare the little building as a City Historic-Cultural Monument.

Only 14 square feet, the former service station is squeezed between two buildings in the 1600 block of Colorado Boulevard. Doors and windows have been removed, and a fence currently surrounds it. 

Originally built in 1919 by Standard Oil Co., it was relocated from downtown Los Angeles in 1931 to Colorado Boulevard and was converted to a fruit and vegetable stand. Then in 1947, it became a plumbing office until the property was sold a few years ago by the same plumbing company.

"This is a great day for Eagle Rock and for the preservation of our city's history. The former Standard Oil Co. Service Station is a rare example of a commercial building from its era that reflects the emergence of the automobile in Southern California," said L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León. "Its association with Route 66, which ran through Colorado Boulevard during the 1930s, makes this monument even more significant,"

The historic monument designated status will help ensure that the former service station will be preserved for future generations.

This addition marks the recognition of more than 1,200 historic places that have been designated by the City of Los Angeles to date.