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

[hbelkins]

Not sure if the service area on the Western Kentucky Parkway has been rebuilt or not.

[Pete from Boston]

I suppose non-turnpike service plazas are in play too, but they cannot be just gas stations with a McDs in them or be 100% privately-owned. I just didn't think that there were very many non-TPK ones.

I guess this disqualifies the little ones on the Merritt Parkway, whose recently-renovated buildings are still very old.

The buildings on the Connecticut Turnpike were replaced recently, but does anyone remember if their predecessors were just renovated when converted to McDonald's in the 1980s, or replaced from the ground up?

The interiors were just renovated.  The structures themselves were the originals from 1957.

Interesting.  I remember the renovations happening right around the time of the toll removal, but we tended to take the toll-free roads in those days.  Do you recall what was in there just prior to McDonald's?

[Beeper1]

The service areas on I-95 were converted into McDs in 1985.  Before that (1975-1985) they were Howard Johnson's.  I think the HoJos were all cafeteria-style on the turnpike.    Before 1975 they were run, I think, by Interstate Host.

Before the current renovations, the plazas on I-395 and CT-15 did not have restaurants, just gas. 

[GCrites]

Here's some oldies of service plazas on the Will Rogers Turnpike -- Glass House and Interstate Host:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/94207108@N02/14315103305/in/photostream/

What happened to these structures?

[GCrites]

When I was a kid in the '80s a lot of stuff was still left over from the '50s and '60s unrenovated. By 1995 most of it was wiped out. Things certainly get remodeled much more often today.  Here's an Illinois Turnpike Oasis HoJo pic representing what kind of photos I was fishing for:

[Beeper1]

That 60s Atomic Age architecture, kinda ugly as it was, has some charm to it. 

[Pete from Boston]

The service areas on I-95 were converted into McDs in 1985.  Before that (1975-1985) they were Howard Johnson's.  I think the HoJos were all cafeteria-style on the turnpike.    Before 1975 they were run, I think, by Interstate Host.

Before the current renovations, the plazas on I-395 and CT-15 did not have restaurants, just gas.

I had to get my head around Dunkin' Donuts or Subway being truly restaurants for a minute, but I guess they qualify.  The primary seating faces your speedometer, though.

The Merritt/W.C. ones actually had a little (disused) garage bay at some or all of them, as did the Turnpike areas.  I know there are none on the parkways anymore, and would be surprised if the new Turnpike areas had them.

[Pete from Boston]

When I was a kid in the '80s a lot of stuff was still left over from the '50s and '60s unrenovated. By 1995 most of it was wiped out. Things certainly get remodeled much more often today.  Here's an Illinois Turnpike Oasis HoJo pic representing what kind of photos I was fishing for:

I finally just got to an Oasis and, realizing they are not the old buildings, declined to stop.  Hell of a picture you have there.

[briantroutman]

When I was a kid in the '80s a lot of stuff was still left over from the '50s and '60s unrenovated. By 1995 most of it was wiped out. Things certainly get remodeled much more often today.

If you're talking about unrenovated plazas with original décor and fittings, I doubt that anything of the kind is left. The '80s saw a massive wave of service plaza renovation for a few major reasons. One is that the plaza structures were reaching 30 or 40 years of age by then, and many suffered from deferred maintenance, needing repair and renovation just to remain viable.

The other reason is that the original 30 or 40-year concession contracts were coming up for renewal, and in nearly every case, the dying Howard Johnson company was dumped in favor of fast food franchises, which were exploding in popularity at the time. Accordingly, sit-down dining rooms originally configured for table service had to be extensively reworked to accommodate a fast food setup.

About renovation cycles in general, though, I don't know that they're accelerating much if at all. At least using the PA Turnpike as an example: The original plazas were built roughly between 1940 and 1950. Then they were remodeled (poorly, I might add) for fast food about 30-40 years later (1980-90). And now they've recently been reconstructed–about 30 years later (2010-15). They seem to be keeping an approximately 30-year cycle.

[GCrites]

^I mean in general spaces get remolded more often; not turnpike plazas specifically. If something looks "too '90s" today it will get renovated, ore even "too early 2000s". Whereas growing up in the '80s I was constantly in '50-'70s environments. There was still tons of pea green shag carpeting around in 1990.

[thenetwork]

I remember when most, if not all of the Ohio Turnpike service areas were HoJos up until the early 80s (if not the late 70s).  And for as many times my family drove the Turnpike between Cleveland & Toledo, I can remember the gift shops, Sohio service stations (with service garages), the restrooms with the coin-op shoe shiners & vending machines (even selling little toy compasses and plastic telescopes), but darned if I cannot remember the setup that HoJos had (cafeteria or casual sit-down).

[theline]

I remember when most, if not all of the Ohio Turnpike service areas were HoJos up until the early 80s (if not the late 70s).  And for as many times my family drove the Turnpike between Cleveland & Toledo, I can remember the gift shops, Sohio service stations (with service garages), the restrooms with the coin-op shoe shiners & vending machines (even selling little toy compasses and plastic telescopes), but darned if I cannot remember the setup that HoJos had (cafeteria or casual sit-down).

My recollection of the HoJos on both Ohio and Pensy Turnpikes was that they were exclusively cafeteria style. I clearly recall the rows of rubber Jello on display. Like most travelers, we learned to alter our travel plans to find food away from the HoJos, which is what eventually brought about their demise.

[GCrites]

Now that I think of it the HoJos on the WV TPK varied. The large single southbound plaza was sit-down while the two smaller northbounds were cafeteria-style I believe. Or maybe you could also get sit-down at the two northbound ones.

I can't help but feel that terrible built-to-a-price school lunches played a major factor in the decline of the popularity of cafeterias. People who are over 70 now patronized cafeterias heavily in the past and still support the few that are still open -- their schools didn't have cafeterias. Fast-causal places are cafeterias too. They just specialize in one or two major ingredients and cook massive amounts of them at a time.

[roadman]

My recollection (late 1960s - early 1970s) of the HoJos on the Jersey Turnpike was that they were traditional sit-down.  Part of the restaurant was booths and the other part was a counter with stools.  Of course, we never ate there except for ocassionally getting ice cream after we finished our packed lunches in the car.

Even now, I remember looking at those Winross toy trucks behind the counter and wanting one so badly.  Never was able to convince my parents to buy me one (or for Santa to give me one as a Christmas present) though.

[GCrites]

Nowadays almost no one packs lunches for travel.

[Beeper1]

What is the story with the Colonia Service Areas and the Brookdale NB Service Areas on the GSP?  They seem to be really odd.  Colonia has two separate gas stations on each side and seems to operate very differently from the other areas in the state (no gas proce controls, etc...).  Brookdale NB is possibly the only service area I know of that not only doesn't have food but also has no public restrooms.   Why are these areas so strange?

[shadyjay]

The service areas on I-95 were converted into McDs in 1985.  Before that (1975-1985) they were Howard Johnson's.  I think the HoJos were all cafeteria-style on the turnpike.    Before 1975 they were run, I think, by Interstate Host.

Before the current renovations, the plazas on I-395 and CT-15 did not have restaurants, just gas. 

I've seen photographic evidence that the original service area restaurant provider was Savarin.  It was HoJo's next, then McDonald's, now the present Subway.  The original buildings constructed lasted until the present contract to reconstruct the service areas.  While most were complete tear-downs, the Montville-SB and Plainfield-NB/SB buildings were gutted and rebuilt, not torn down.  Same hold true for the Merritt/WCP service plazas. 

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. 

[Brandon]

When I was a kid in the '80s a lot of stuff was still left over from the '50s and '60s unrenovated. By 1995 most of it was wiped out. Things certainly get remodeled much more often today.  Here's an Illinois Turnpike Oasis HoJo pic representing what kind of photos I was fishing for:

Wow, I remember those ceilings back in the 1980s and 1990s, prior to the oases being completely rebuilt from the bridge girders up.  The decor may be left over from the Fred Harvey restaurants the oases opened with in 1958 (1967 for the Lincoln Oasis).

[SectorZ]

I am drawing a blank, the Mass Pike up until around 2000 had a decent fast food restaurant in some of the rest areas. One example, the eastbound one in Charlton that abutted US 20. Was it Roy Rogers?

[cl94]

I am drawing a blank, the Mass Pike up until around 2000 had a decent fast food restaurant in some of the rest areas. One example, the eastbound one in Charlton that abutted US 20. Was it Roy Rogers?

Probably. Every Roy Rogers I've eaten at is on the Thruway or was on the Mass Pike.

[briantroutman]

I am drawing a blank, the Mass Pike up until around 2000 had a decent fast food restaurant in some of the rest areas. One example, the eastbound one in Charlton that abutted US 20. Was it Roy Rogers?

I'm not sure, but it would seem likely. All nine plazas were at one time Howard Johnson's, and after Marriott (who created the Roy Rogers chain) bought the Howard Johnson company in 1985, all nine were converted to Roy Rogers...at least according to this unverifiable list that contains a lot of other information that I know is accurate.

[Pete from Boston]

I am drawing a blank, the Mass Pike up until around 2000 had a decent fast food restaurant in some of the rest areas. One example, the eastbound one in Charlton that abutted US 20. Was it Roy Rogers?

Charlton East had a Roy Rogers.  They had a fire in about 1998 and closed permanently, since Marriott lost the contract shortly thereafter.  A temporary Roy's trailer operated in the parking lot for a year or so after that. 

Damn, this all has me craving a Double-R-Bar Burger.

[GCrites]

I want a damn Howard Johnson's grilled cheese sandwich.

[Pete from Boston]

Get driving.  Lake Placid, Lake George, and Bangor are all that's left, and they're sort of on the make-your-own-menu plan.  Bundle up.

[cl94]

Get driving.  Lake Placid, Lake George, and Bangor are all that's left, and they're sort of on the make-your-own-menu plan.  Bundle up.

Lake George had closed a couple years ago, but it supposedly reopened. I have vivid memories of going there when I was growing up. Ice cream was good, but service would have been faster if I killed the cow and butchered it myself.

It's rumored on fan sites that Bangor will be closing and Lake Placid is supposedly up for sale.