Plus, hear pipe organ music all summer long.
 
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Today’s Forecast

82º | 30% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:04 a.m. | Sunset 8:34 p.m.
 

Shell-abrating a local landmark

The story behind the only remaining shell-shaped gas station in Winston-Salem
Yellow shell-shaped building with red door against white fence and pergola.
Quality Oil donated two replica gas pumps that stand out front. | Photo by WStoday
This shell isn’t by the seashore, it’s right here in the Twin City. The unique structure on the corner of East Sprague and Peachtree streets isn’t just a local treasure, it’s the last of its kind. Let’s dig into what makes this relic so spe-shell.

Marketing magic

The building dates back to 1930. Winston-Salem’s Quality Oil Company had recently become the local distributor of gas from the Shell Oil Company. The owners came up with the idea to use the gas station itself as a way to advertise to motorists.

The design for the one-story novelties was patented in November 1930 and the Frank L. Blum Construction Company got to work. Crews built seven clam shells around the city — and one in Kernersville — for $5,000 each.

Black and white photo showing a pergola and shell-shaped gas station.

The pergola to the right of the station was used as a car wash.

|

Photo via Digital Forsyth

The service station on East Sprague Street served customers until the 1950s. By then, the buildings were proving too small for expanding services, so many of them closed. But in 1972, JD Watson began renting — and later bought — the building on East Sprague Street for his lawn mower repair business, which saved that particular shell. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1976.

Polishing and preserving

Preservation North Carolina raised $50,000 in the late 1970s to restore the station to its former glory. The city of Winston-Salem designated it as a Local Historic Landmark in May 1994.

The shell served as Preservation NC’s regional office until 2011. The organization still has a protective covenant on the building, which prohibits it from being demolished or architecturally altered. It also owns a percentage of the property, but Watson is still the primary owner.

Today, the shell is a museum of sorts (a shell-bration, if you will) — black-and-white photos, newspaper clippings, and other relics are inside. You can’t enter the building, but you can stop by for a photo op at 1111 E. Sprague St.
Asked

The first shell-shaped station that opened in Winston-Salem was located on:
A. Main Street
B. Burke Street
C. Stratford Road
D. East Sprague Street
Don't clam up
 
Events
Monday, June 3
  • City Council Meeting | Monday, June 3 | 6 p.m. | City Council Chamber, City Hall, 101 N. Main St., Winston-Salem | Free | City Council members will consider property matters, vote on a contract proposal for street resurfacing, and decide other matters.
Tuesday, June 4
  • Innovation Oasis: Business Mixer | Tuesday, June 4 | 4-6 p.m. | Vintage Sofa Bar, 1001 Burke St., Winston-Salem | Free | Talk with potential collaborators, clients, and mentors to take your business to the next level.
Wednesday, June 5
Thursday, June 6
  • Food Truck Blitz | Thursday, June 6 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Ferguson Enterprises Inc., 7905 N. Point Blvd., Winston-Salem | $15-$35 | Grab dinner from four featured food trucks — each ticket includes food tastings, two drink tickets, and activities.
  • Murder at the Buffalo Speakeasy | Thursday, June 6 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | ROAR, 633 N. Liberty St., Winston-Salem | $40-$55 | Immerse yourself in the drama, glamour, and suspense to help solve this 1920s-murder mystery.
Friday, June 7
  • “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” | Friday, June 7 | 7:30-10 p.m. | HanesBrands Theatre, 209 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem | $14-$28 | Go back to where it all began with the inspiring tale of the girl with a unique voice who became Carole King.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Real Estate
  • Novant Health has sold two properties in Winston-Salem that it will lease back from its buyers for at least the next decade. The health care system’s headquarters at 2085 Frontis Plaza Blvd. sold for $13 million + the medical park office at 190 Kimel Park Dr. sold for $17.8 million. (Triad Business Journal)
Eat
  • Enjoy a four-course dinner at Founders Restaurant (150 S. Marshall St.) on Friday, June 7 between 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. “Global Gourmet” will feature a prix fixe menu with wine pairings for $75 per person — tax and gratuity are not included. Call 336-293-6875 to reserve your table.
Shop
  • First Fridays are back at Wise Man Brewing (826 Angelo Bros. Ave.). Support local vendors + artists, listen to live music, and eat and drink at the monthly events through November — this month’s kicks off Friday, June 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Edu
  • Certified pre-Kindergarten teachers who work in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will receive a $951 bonus. The measure will total $130,000 and will come from district funds. (Winston-Salem Journal)
Announced
  • The Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem will host its 26th annual “Dreams Take Flight” Buddy Walk on Saturday, Oct. 12 at West Forsyth High School. Registration for the event isn’t open yet but we’ll let you know when you can sign up.
Older Adults
  • Make sure you can cool off in the summer heat. Forsyth County adults aged 60 and older, or adults of any age with a disability, can apply to receive a free electric fan. Only residents who live in a home where a threat to their health and well-being exists will qualify for Operation Fan Heat Relief.
Edu
  • Inflation and the rising cost of living got you down? See how knocking out your first two years of a Bachelor’s degree at Forsyth Tech can save you (or your student) an average of $11,377.*
Real Estate
 
Listen

Sounds of the Summer

Sounds of the Summer pipe organ concerts return for 2024 season
Stained glass window in a church framed by pipes from an organ.
The number of pipe organs in the city is closely connected to the Moravians who settled in Salem in the 18th century. | Photo by WStoday
Hear music from pipe organs bellow through the city again this summer. Here’s the lineup for the Sounds of the Summer concert series:
  • Monday, June 17 at Calvary Moravian Church (600 Holly Ave. NW)
  • Sunday, June 30 at Trinity Moravian Church (220 E. Sprague St.)
  • Monday, July 15 at Ardmore United Methodist Church (630 S. Hawthorne Rd.)
  • Sunday, July 28 at Konnoak Hills Moravian Church (3401 Konnoak Dr.)
  • Monday, Aug. 12 at First Baptist Church (501 W. 5th St.)
You can also hear from budding pipe organists. Students ages 13-18 who are participating in the Pipe Organ Encounter Camp will perform concerts on Tuesday, July 16 at Watson Hall at UNC School of the Arts + on Wednesday, July 17 at Centenary United Methodist Church (646 W. 5th St.).

All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are expected to last 45 minutes to an hour. They’re free and open to the public. Find more information about the concert series on Facebook.
The Buy

The Buy 6.03.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
Summer slides for Father’s Day. The OOFOS slides are easy to slip on and engineered to reduce stress on feet, joints, and back, so they’re perfect for Dad. Bonus: Grab a pair for yourself.
6AM City In-house
 
The Wrap
 
Cambridge Wrege.jpg

Today’s edition by:
Cambridge
From the editor
Now that temperatures are in the 80s, I’m excited to satisfy my sweet tooth with lots of ice cream. Nothing will taste as good to me as my mom’s homemade peach ice cream, but I’m determined to find flavors that are almost as tasty. If you’ve got a favorite local spot for a summertime treat, I hope you’ll share it with me.
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