Greenhouse Service Station, 522 South Main Street, Woodstock

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,29-WDSK,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) was constructed c. by Gilbert Reeves, a local resident and developer. The building is a rectangular mass with a three bay facade, and a porte cochere that extends from the first two bays. It possesses a flat roof with a stepped parapet, and tongue-and-groovL' walls and floors. It was originally constructed as a grocery and filling station and was part of a group of commercial properties developed by Mr. Reeves between and Strategically located along old Georgia State Route 5 (presently Georgia State Route which was for many years the only paved road in Cherokee County, the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) and neighboring businesses contributed to the commercial development of the area.

The Greenhouse Servi ce Station (Larry Wood Chevron) is significant in the area of architecture, and is important as the remaining potentially eligible historic resource associated with Reeves' development. GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (Larry Wood Chevron) HABS No. GA-2232 (Page 2) PART I. PHYSICAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (LARRY WOOD CHEVRON) IN RELATION TO THE HISTORIC AND EXISTING ENVIRONMENT The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) is located on the west side of Georgia State Route south of the Woodstock city limits, and north of the intersection of Georgia State Route 754 and Georgia State Route 92. It was constructed c. by Mr. Gilbert Reeves, a local resident and developer. The building was one of several commercial properties developed by Mr.

Reeves to serve the residents who lived between the larger commercial centers of Marietta and Canton. The Greenhouse Service Station was named for its proximity to another of Mr. Reeves' commercial properties, the Reeves Florist, which was known for its greenhouses. Strategically located along Old Georgia State Route 5 (Georgia state Route which for many years was the only paved road in Cherokee County, these early businesses contributed to the development of the Woodstock area. These early commercial establishments also included the Dixie Inn Restaurant, a shopping center, and a second filling station. The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) is the only remaining building associated with Mr. Reeves' development of the area.

Cherokee County has historically been a rural county where development was slow and sparse. In the vicinity of the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron), land was used exclusively for agricultural purposes. The land on which the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) is located was originally part of the estate of Andrew Rice Fowler, a former Cobb County resident who purchased several thousand acres in south Cherokee County between the years and With the exception of a c. Queen Anne style residence Mr. Fowler reportedly built for his family, he chose to maintain the agricultural nature of the area. The house is located on the west side of Georgia State Route 754 immediately north of the location of the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron).

Gilbert Reeves married Fowler's daughter, Ruth, in and moved in to the Fowler residence. An enterprising young man, Reeves began developing the area along Old State Route 5 in the and created a small commercial center that altered the once completely rural area into a viable business community. Although Reeves' development paved the way for additional commercial activity in the area, it was not until the decade of the that development throughout the county accelerated. Between and the population of Cherokee County increased by 66 percent from to The decade of the saw a further increase in population, from to an increase of 69 percent.

The majority of this growth occurred in the southern portion of the county, particularly in the vicinity GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (Larry Wood Chevron) HABS No. GA-22 32 (Page 3) of the City of Woodstock. This rapid increase in population has led to a boom in new commercial and residential development, and the loss of older commercial buildings, in particular. Presently, the vicinity of the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) includes several strip shopping centers, fast food restaurants, new gas stations, and commercial office buildings. The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron), along with the c. Fowler residence provide the only link to the history of the area. PART II.

HISTORY OF THE GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (LARRY WOOD CHEVRON) The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron), constructed c. was one of several commercial properties developed by Mr. Gilbert Reeves in the Woodstock vicinity between the years and Developed to serve the residents who lived between the larger commercial centers of Marietta and Canton, the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) and neighboring businesses competed actively with the City of Woodstock for local business. The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) was originally leased to Sam Priest who operated a grocery and filling station. In Mr. Priest entered into a partnership with Carl Dunn, who eventually acquired Mr. Priest's interest in the property.

Larry Wood, Dunn's son-in-law, took over the business in and operated the service station until when the site was leased to Rodd's Garage. Rodd's Garage is the current tenant. PART III. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (LARRY WOOD CHEVRON) The Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron), c. is a rectangular shaped building containing a three bay facade, and a porte cochere with a wrought iron support extending from the first two bays. It possesses a flat roof with a stepped parapet, and tongue-and-groove walls and floors. The building is of frame construction and originally had six inch weatherboard siding that was bricked over in The original interior contained a grocery and a service bay. Presently, the grocery is used as an office. During the the tenant, Mr.

Dunn, added a concrete block addition to the north side of the building that wrapped around part of the west side of the building, as well. This addition possesses a flat roof, except in the southwest corner, where a shed roof is noted. Despite the later addition, the Greenhouse Service Station (Larry Wood Chevron) possesses many of the original features that contribute to its historic and GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (Larry Wood Chevron) HABS No. GA-2232 (Page 4) architectural significance. References: Deed Book GG page 7, Deed Book 3 pages Deed Book 3 page Deed Book 14 page Deed Book 73 page Deed Book 275 page 36; Cherokee County Courthouse, Canton, Georgia Carl Dunn, Telephone Interview by Lauren A. Cotton, December 15, Juanita Hughes, local historian, Interview by Elliott K.

Wright, Woodstock, Georgia, May Ruth B. Reeves, Telephone Interview by Lauren A. Cotton, December Gilbert Reeves, Interview by Elliott K. Wright, Woodstock, Georgia, May Edith Reeves Sims, Interview by Elliott K. Wright, Woodstock, Georgia, May/December Larry Wood, Interview by Elliott K. Wright, Woodstock, Georgia, May GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (LARRY WOOD CHEVRON) HABS No. GA-2232 (Page 5) 13 o nil I 99 aiftOU GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (LARRY WOOD CHEVRON) HABS No. GA-2232 <** $> GREENHOUSE SERVICE STATION (LARRY WOOD CHEVRON) FLOOR PLAN NO SCALE Q PUMP ISLAND "")