What's the oldest turnpike service plaza still in use?

[GCrites]

No road trips for me these days. Only one day off work at a time with no vacations. I own a business that is only closed on Christmas.

[Beeper1]

And for those playing along at home, all turnpike plazas have been rebuilt and open except Fairfield-SB and Madison-SB, both which should open sometime this winter or spring, I'd guess.

During the early 80s, I remember seeing the original turnpike signage for the service plazas, which displayed FOOD / FUEL with McDonalds and a Mobil logo.  The Mobil logo was covering up a former Sunoco logo.  But at least since 1982, if not longer, Mobil has been the provider of fuel on the turnpike.

And there used to be service areas on the WCP in Vernon, too.  Those are LONNNNNGGGGG gone, but they were very similar to those on the rest of the Merritt/WCP system. 

The WCP also had a set of service areas in Union, just west of Exit 74.  They were eliminated the same time as the Vernon areas, when the highway was modernized.  They were also small and looked like the parkway areas.

I think one set on the Merritt Parkway (New Caanan?)  is still closed for renovations?

[shadyjay]

Yup, New Canaan on the Merritt is still closed, according to ctserviceplazas.com. 

I never remembered Roy Rogers on the MassPike.  I do remember the Burger King restaurants and was psyched when they were upgraded to McDonalds.  It also brought food service to Bandford-East and Lee-West, which previously had just fuel service.  I think the only 2 times I ate at a Roy Rogers was once on the NJ Tpke at about 3am and once on the Thruway. 

[Beeper1]

Before being renovated into McDs in the early 2000s, the Newton and Lexington plazas on I-95/MA-128 were Roy Rogers.

[briantroutman]

...and they're sort of on the make-your-own-menu plan...

I believe you were alluding to it, but since all of their trademark foods were prepared in regional commissaries, frozen, and then trucked to the restaurants, Howard Johnson's already died when the commissaries closed. The two or three that remain are basically independent diners that happen to be located in an old Howard Johnson's.

[spooky]

Yup, New Canaan on the Merritt is still closed, according to ctserviceplazas.com. 

I never remembered Roy Rogers on the MassPike.  I do remember the Burger King restaurants and was psyched when they were upgraded to McDonalds.  It also brought food service to Bandford-East and Lee-West, which previously had just fuel service.  I think the only 2 times I ate at a Roy Rogers was once on the NJ Tpke at about 3am and once on the Thruway. 

The Ludlow plaza had a Roy Rogers. I'm positive there was one westbound, but I'm pretty sure there was one eastbound as well. The westbound one was cafeteria style, as I recall.

I drove from Exit 10 to the western end quite a bit in the early 90s. Going westbound Charlton had Burger King, Ludlow had Roy Rogers, Blandford had Burger King, and Lee was gas and vending only. I'm less positive of them going eastbound - I guess going back to school I would stop for fast food, but coming home I wouldn't bother because I could have my mom's cooking. My best recollection of eastbound is that Lee had BK, Blandford was gas/vending only, Ludlow had Roy Rogers and Charlton had BK.

[Pete from Boston]

Yup, New Canaan on the Merritt is still closed, according to ctserviceplazas.com. 

I never remembered Roy Rogers on the MassPike.  I do remember the Burger King restaurants and was psyched when they were upgraded to McDonalds.  It also brought food service to Bandford-East and Lee-West, which previously had just fuel service.  I think the only 2 times I ate at a Roy Rogers was once on the NJ Tpke at about 3am and once on the Thruway. 

The Ludlow plaza had a Roy Rogers. I'm positive there was one westbound, but I'm pretty sure there was one eastbound as well. The westbound one was cafeteria style, as I recall.

I drove from Exit 10 to the western end quite a bit in the early 90s. Going westbound Charlton had Burger King, Ludlow had Roy Rogers, Blandford had Burger King, and Lee was gas and vending only. I'm less positive of them going eastbound - I guess going back to school I would stop for fast food, but coming home I wouldn't bother because I could have my mom's cooking. My best recollection of eastbound is that Lee had BK, Blandford was gas/vending only, Ludlow had Roy Rogers and Charlton had BK.

I'm basing Charlton East having Roy's on the fact that they had a Roy's trailer after the fire.  My pre-fire memory of that building is less clear.

Framingham (westbound) had a BK and a Big Boy, but is it possible they also had a Roy's?  I remember another fast food operation in there. 

Westborough (westbound only) had a Sbarro and possibly a Popeye's.  It was an oddball of the lot, with a different layout of building as well. 

[spooky]

Yup, New Canaan on the Merritt is still closed, according to ctserviceplazas.com. 

I never remembered Roy Rogers on the MassPike.  I do remember the Burger King restaurants and was psyched when they were upgraded to McDonalds.  It also brought food service to Bandford-East and Lee-West, which previously had just fuel service.  I think the only 2 times I ate at a Roy Rogers was once on the NJ Tpke at about 3am and once on the Thruway. 

The Ludlow plaza had a Roy Rogers. I'm positive there was one westbound, but I'm pretty sure there was one eastbound as well. The westbound one was cafeteria style, as I recall.

I drove from Exit 10 to the western end quite a bit in the early 90s. Going westbound Charlton had Burger King, Ludlow had Roy Rogers, Blandford had Burger King, and Lee was gas and vending only. I'm less positive of them going eastbound - I guess going back to school I would stop for fast food, but coming home I wouldn't bother because I could have my mom's cooking. My best recollection of eastbound is that Lee had BK, Blandford was gas/vending only, Ludlow had Roy Rogers and Charlton had BK.

I'm basing Charlton East having Roy's on the fact that they had a Roy's trailer after the fire.  My pre-fire memory of that building is less clear.

Framingham (westbound) had a BK and a Big Boy, but is it possible they also had a Roy's?  I remember another fast food operation in there. 

Westborough (westbound only) had a Sbarro and possibly a Popeye's.  It was an oddball of the lot, with a different layout of building as well. 

I missed your earlier post about the fire and the Roy Rogers trailer. Like I said, my memory is not as sharp on the eastbound plazas.

In the late 90s I was taking a lot of trips from I-495 to Pittsfield, but by then the service plaza renovations were under way. I can confirm the oddball Westborough plaza. That one is still an oddball of sorts because it is grade separated and not really visible from the highway.

[shadyjay]

Courtesy of the 'ole Wayback machine...

https://web.archive.org/web/20000609192711/http://www.masspike.com/t_traveler/service.html#char

[Pete from Boston]

Courtesy of the 'ole Wayback machine...

https://web.archive.org/web/20000609192711/http://www.masspike.com/t_traveler/service.html#char

Thanks.  You beat me to it.

So there was a Popeye's, but it was the second fast-food offering at Framingham, not Westborough.

[GCrites]

...and they're sort of on the make-your-own-menu plan...

I believe you were alluding to it, but since all of their trademark foods were prepared in regional commissaries, frozen, and then trucked to the restaurants, Howard Johnson's already died when the commissaries closed. The two or three that remain are basically independent diners that happen to be located in an old Howard Johnson's.

So the food will most likely be from GFS or Sysco then.

[Pete from Boston]

...and they're sort of on the make-your-own-menu plan...

I believe you were alluding to it, but since all of their trademark foods were prepared in regional commissaries, frozen, and then trucked to the restaurants, Howard Johnson's already died when the commissaries closed. The two or three that remain are basically independent diners that happen to be located in an old Howard Johnson's.

So the food will most likely be from GFS or Sysco then.

I try to enjoy the illusion whenever in an old HoJo's rather than dwell too much on where the food came from.

[Beeper1]

Yup, New Canaan on the Merritt is still closed, according to ctserviceplazas.com. 

I never remembered Roy Rogers on the MassPike.  I do remember the Burger King restaurants and was psyched when they were upgraded to McDonalds.  It also brought food service to Bandford-East and Lee-West, which previously had just fuel service.  I think the only 2 times I ate at a Roy Rogers was once on the NJ Tpke at about 3am and once on the Thruway. 

The Ludlow plaza had a Roy Rogers. I'm positive there was one westbound, but I'm pretty sure there was one eastbound as well. The westbound one was cafeteria style, as I recall.

I drove from Exit 10 to the western end quite a bit in the early 90s. Going westbound Charlton had Burger King, Ludlow had Roy Rogers, Blandford had Burger King, and Lee was gas and vending only. I'm less positive of them going eastbound - I guess going back to school I would stop for fast food, but coming home I wouldn't bother because I could have my mom's cooking. My best recollection of eastbound is that Lee had BK, Blandford was gas/vending only, Ludlow had Roy Rogers and Charlton had BK.

I'm basing Charlton East having Roy's on the fact that they had a Roy's trailer after the fire.  My pre-fire memory of that building is less clear.

Framingham (westbound) had a BK and a Big Boy, but is it possible they also had a Roy's?  I remember another fast food operation in there. 

Westborough (westbound only) had a Sbarro and possibly a Popeye's.  It was an oddball of the lot, with a different layout of building as well. 

I missed your earlier post about the fire and the Roy Rogers trailer. Like I said, my memory is not as sharp on the eastbound plazas.

In the late 90s I was taking a lot of trips from I-495 to Pittsfield, but by then the service plaza renovations were under way. I can confirm the oddball Westborough plaza. That one is still an oddball of sorts because it is grade separated and not really visible from the highway.

Westborough is an oddball because it wasn't built at the same time as the other plazas on the Pike.  All the others are original to when the road opened in the late 50s.  The Westborough Plaza was built in the mid/late 60s after I-495 and its interchange opened. Planners knew there would be an increase in traffic on that section of the Pike and felt that another plaza was needed. I guess they didn't feel it would be as much of an issue for eastbound, as the 38 miles between Charlton and Natick is still the longest distance between services on the MassPike.     

[Pete from Boston]

On trips from New York and beyond, that 38 miles is *exactly* where I get tired. 

It's somewhere between impractical and not in demand, but it sure would be nice to have a loop ramp to/from the eastbound Pike and the Westborough Plaza.

[roadman]

I remember both Roy Rodgers and BK on the MassPike very well.  IIRC, at that time the principal food brands available at plazas were staggered.  So, you'd have BK at one plaza, and TriggerBurger at the next one, then BK at the following one, etc..

[SectorZ]

Courtesy of the 'ole Wayback machine...

https://web.archive.org/web/20000609192711/http://www.masspike.com/t_traveler/service.html#char

I know some people prefer McDonald's, but damn the quality of choice went downhill since then.

[MikeTheActuary]

While it's not a US turnpike, I came across a reference to some of the original Autobahn service area facilities still being in use at Michendorf and Hermsdorf.  Sadly, no GSV coverage at either locale.

[roadman65]

Maryland House came close to be one.  However we all know that since last year, a brand new building now houses the iconic service area.  That original structure had to be in service for over 50 years.

[GCrites]

Anybody got any theories on why we bulldoze these rather than rehab? Why can't anything in the U.S. last more than 30 years? While some may deny it, it is damaging to people's psyche to see so many structures from their childhood destroyed. People in other countries know this.

[Pete from Boston]

Anybody got any theories on why we bulldoze these rather than rehab? Why can't anything in the U.S. last more than 30 years? While some may deny it, it is damaging to people's psyche to see so many structures from their childhood destroyed. People in other countries know this.

Yes.  It is cheaper and easier to build new.  Ask any contractor who has had to deal with a century of bad/changed/obsolete motives manifested in an old house.  It's a shitload of expensive work.

Old buildings were designed around old habits.  In buildings that exist specifically to house a marketing concept (like a rest area or stadium), this is particularly true.

And people in other countries believe your assertion rather than know it, because it is the custom they're used to.  Here that is not the case.  We're a pretty young society–our collective psyche is a little different.

[cl94]

Anybody got any theories on why we bulldoze these rather than rehab? Why can't anything in the U.S. last more than 30 years? While some may deny it, it is damaging to people's psyche to see so many structures from their childhood destroyed. People in other countries know this.

Yes.  It is cheaper and easier to build new.  Ask any contractor who has had to deal with a century of bad/changed/obsolete motives manifested in an old house.  It's a shitload of expensive work.

Old buildings were designed around old habits.  In buildings that exist specifically to house a marketing concept (like a rest area or stadium), this is particularly true.

And people in other countries believe your assertion rather than know it, because it is the custom they're used to.  Here that is not the case.  We're a pretty young society–our collective psyche is a little different.

As an engineer, I can affirm this. Heck of a lot cheaper (and faster) to tear down and build new, partly because the old building doesn't have to painstakingly be brought up to code. If a renovation touches enough of a building, the entire thing has to become ADA and compliant with current codes. For some of these moderately-old buildings, it just isn't worth it. There's also a difference between a building that is 50-60 years old and one that is over 80. If it's that old, you'll try to keep it because of the historic value. Just look at New York, New England, and Washington.

[GCrites]

And people in other countries believe your assertion rather than know it, because it is the custom they're used to.  Here that is not the case.  We're a pretty young society–our collective psyche is a little different.

Sorry, I don't subscribe to "snowflake Americans" theory. We are not different than other nationalities. We are all people and are not special.

[Pete from Boston]

And people in other countries believe your assertion rather than know it, because it is the custom they're used to.  Here that is not the case.  We're a pretty young society–our collective psyche is a little different.

Sorry, I don't subscribe to "snowflake Americans" theory. We are not different than other nationalities. We are all people and are not special.

I don't know what "snowflake Americans" means.  I know every society possesses its own history that shapes its worldview.  You tacitly acknowledged this when you contrasted us with "people in other countries."

We do not have anywhere close to the amount of thousand-plus-year-old buildings, monuments, etc., that many societies have.  We have practically created a wave of extremely accelerated technological change, and a culture of manufacture and newness that celebrates innovation and replacement.

No one did this to us.  We created and followed this path.  It's a part of our cultural DNA.  I'm not sure why you insinuate that our values are or should be what some other societies' are.

[empirestate]

There's also a difference between a building that is 50-60 years old and one that is over 80. If it's that old, you'll try to keep it because of the historic value. Just look at New York, New England, and Washington.

True, but eventually those 50-60 year old buildings become the over-80 ones, and then where are we? Imagine how many turn-of-the-century buildings (Beaux-Arts, City Beautiful-era) were razed in the 50s and 60s because they were old enough to be outmoded but not yet old enough to be historic, or at least nostalgic. And yes, in many cases that was because they were truly decrepit and it wasn't seen as practical (or necessary) to save them, but we do now find ourselves wishing we could have some of that building stock back.

It makes me wonder, although we'd all probably love to bulldoze all those horrid Brutalist eyesores from the 60s-70s with their crumbling, moldy concrete façades and their cold, desolate plazas–yet will there be a time not so long from now when we'll admire them as aesthetic triumphs of an earlier age, and spend millions to preserve and restore as many of them as we can?

[Beeper1]

This discussion is getting way too heavy for the type of thing we're talking about: places designed for people to get a burger and take a piss.

Who is traumatized by the demolition and replacement of a damn rest area building?  Seriously.   If it is cheaper, more efficient and usually a nicer end product for the traveling public to replace a building whose purpose is purely utilitarian than to try to rehab a decades-old, worn-out, not up to modern safety codes structure, so be it.