Normal Route 66 property listed in National Register of Historic Places

NORMAL - The Sprague's Super Service building at 305 E. Pine Street in Normal was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 2008 by the National Park Service.

"This 1930s service station is an important link to the early history of Route 66," said Jan Grimes, director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which administers the National Register program in Illinois. "The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's most prestigious listing of properties with historical significance."

The Sprague's Super Service building is an excellent example of the movement during the 1920s and 30s to design gas stations that would fit in well with the residential neighborhoods in which they were located. Built in 1931 by William W. Sprague, the two-story, Tudor-style building housed a restaurant, gas station and garage along what was then the location of Route 66. The famous two-lane highway was relocated as a four-lane road around the east side of Bloomington in 1940. A number of owners through the years have operated a variety of businesses at Pine Street location.

For more information on the National Register of Historic Places program in Illinois, visit www.Illinois-History.gov/PS/historicplaces.htm.