Fight For Your Wright
Many is the time that I narrowly averted a serious traffic mishap as I craned my neck to get a good view of the Lindholm Service Station when passing through Cloquet, MN. It is the only working gas station in the world designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and it is for sale.
If memory serves me, I believe that the building is in serious need of some restoration, which is not uncommon with Wright’s buildings. He had a tendency to eschew practical concerns like making sure the roof didn’t leak and he habitually skimped on such unnecessary items as steel reinforcing in the concrete and structural columns. I would imagine that the Lindholm station is no exception. In fact, on my last trip through Cloquet I recall noticing that the cantilevered canopy is sagging quite noticeably. Considering that, it seems to me that the $725,000 asking price is a tad steep.
That being said, I truly hope that someone does buy the place and renovates it. It would be a shame to lose another piece of architectural history to the wrecking ball. The mere fact that the structure bears his name should be sufficient reason to lobby for its preservation. But, more importantly, the building has the distinction of being the only one of Wright's designs for Broadacre City that was actually built.
So, if there any of you out there have a little extra cash on hand and have always dreamed of owning a gas station near the beautiful Iron Range in northern Minnesota, head up to Cloquet and get busy saving a Wright.
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