Frank Lloyd Wright’s only gas station is sold for the first time
CLOQUET, Minn. — The gas station that was the only one designed by Frank Lloyd Wright has been sold for the first time since its construction.
The R.W. Lindholm Service Station has stood since 1958 at Cloquet Avenue and Minnesota 33 in this small city just west of Duluth.
It was built at the request of local resident Ray Lindholm after Wright designed the family’s home, which three years ago was dismantled and reconstructed in Pennsylvania.
The gas station was the only one among the legendary architect’s 150 buildings.
It stayed in the family, owned by Ray’s daughter Joyce Lindholm McKinney and then by her sons. They reached retirement age and last year began selling off parts of their businesses, including the gas station.
It was sold to Broadacre LLC of Minneapolis in March 2018 for $250,000. The registered agent and manager listed for the company is William Andrew Volna.
The building is topped by a large and distinctive cantilevered roof clad in copper, which for decades has had a green patina. It includes a glass-enclosed observation deck over the main office. At one time, it sported custom-made furniture, a table and egg-shaped chairs designed by Wright. Someone stole the table years ago and the McKinneys kept the chairs.
Mechanic Chris Chartier continues to work out of the four garage bays he has occupied since 1982.
Chartier and a business partner considered purchasing the building in 2016. Once news broke of the former D’s Fabric Care becoming a Superfund environmental cleanup site, the partner backed out. The two buildings are attached at the back wall.
Chartier hadn’t been aware of the contamination issue until he was preparing to purchase the building from the McKinneys. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency brought the issue to his attention in 2016 and let him know as the new owner he could be responsible for any costs. Chartier said he was told later by the MPCA that it is no longer concerned with issues at the Wright building.
“It works well for me,” Chartier said. “Andrew (the new owner) knows I have been here forever. … I told him I’m going to stick around.”
Besides being a tourist destination for Wright architecture admirers, the building has also been the site of music videos, an insurance commercial and an episode of “My North” with Minnesota native Louie Anderson.
“People come from around the world to take photos,” Chartier said. Admirers sometimes stand in the middle of Cloquet Avenue to get their perfect shot of the local landmark.