Frank Lloyd Wright gas station

Cloquet icon was Wright’s only service station design ever built

By Kelly Busche kbusche@duluthnews.com

The Frank Lloyd Wright gas station — also known to some by its formal name, R.W. Lindholm Service Station — stands on the corner of an intersection in Cloquet.

Wright, a notable architect, designed the station, making it his only gas station build out of his 150 designs, according to Pine Journal reporting.

A glass-enclosed observation deck on the second floor looks over the intersection of Cloquet Avenue and Minnesota Highway 33. The 1958 gas station once housed a table and egg-shaped chairs custom designed by Wright. The table was stolen years ago, and a previous owner held onto the chairs.

Its iconic rigid, cantilevered roof is topped by a large metal sign reading “FL Wright.” The copper shingles are now green patina.

The roof’s design came out of Wright’s idea that standing pumps could be eliminated by running the fuel lines through the roof. Unfortunately, his idea never materialized, as fire code standards didn’t allow the lines to be run there, according to the Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce.

Cloquet resident and Best Oil company owner Ray Lindholm requested Wright to build it after Wright built his house. Lindholm’s daughter and sonin-law encouraged him to employ Wright to build the house, as they both studied architecture.

Wright had plans to create a service station for 20 years. Its design was centered on the architect’s ideas to establish a decentralized urban landscape, according to the chamber. He sought to incorporate beauty into a commonplace entity, like a service station. Lindholm’s daughter, Joy (Lindholm) McKinney, then passed it down to her sons.

Last year, the sons sold the gas station as they turned retirement age. The Minneapolis buyer,

Broadacre, LLC, bought it for $250,000.

People from across the world are still drawn to the gas station for photos and to see one of Wright’s buildings. u completed in 1958.

(File / News Tribune)