This piece was based on a service station which stood on Route 32 in Kingston, New York. During the construction of the model, I turned it into a Pure Oil station because I thought the name went well with the 1930¹s Streamline Moderne lines and smooth, white tiled exterior. The era of the great depression was also one of great optimism. This sleek new form of architecture pointed the way to the brave new world which lay ahead.

One of the first multi-lane, limited access roads in the country was the New York State Thruway, which replaced Route 32 in this part of the state. In 1953, the ten mile stretch of four-lane from Kingston north to Saugerties was completed and for this little white station the brave new world had arrived.