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Vickers Petroleum Service Station facts for kids

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Vickers Petroleum Service Station
Vickers Petroleum Service Station Haysville KS.jpg
Vickers Petroleum Service Station
Vickers Petroleum Service Station is located in Kansas
Vickers Petroleum Service Station
Location in Kansas
Vickers Petroleum Service Station is located in the United States
Vickers Petroleum Service Station
Location in the United States
Location 140 N Main St., Haysville, Kansas
Built 1954 (1954)
NRHP reference No. 100004455
Added to NRHP September 30, 2019

The Vickers Petroleum Service Station is a very special building located in Haysville, Kansas. It was built a long time ago, in 1954. What makes it so unique is its amazing roof design, which looks a bit like a bat's wing! Because of its special design and history, this building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 2019. This means it's an important landmark worth protecting.

A Unique Building in Haysville

The Vickers Petroleum Service Station was designed by a person named John M. Hickman. He created a roof shape that was completely new for a service station at the time. This shape is called a "hyperbolic paraboloid," but most people just call it a "batwing" roof because of its cool look.

What Makes It Special?

Imagine a roof that curves in two different directions at once! That's what a hyperbolic paraboloid roof does. It's like a saddle shape. This design was very modern and eye-catching in the 1950s. It showed off new ideas in architecture and engineering. The Vickers station was the very first service station to use this kind of roof.

A Look at Its History

When it first opened in 1954, the Vickers Petroleum Service Station was a place where people could fill up their cars with gas and get them serviced. It was a busy spot in Haysville for many years. Over time, the way people used service stations changed, and the building found a new purpose.

What It's Used For Today

Since 2007, the building has been used by the Haysville Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce is a group that helps local businesses and the community. They remodeled the inside of the building to make it a comfortable office space. So, this historic building continues to be an important part of the Haysville community, even though it no longer sells gas!

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