Teapot Dome Service Station

The Teapot Dome Service Station in Zillah, Washington is one example of architectural folly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Many such follies were constructed as roadside attractions as the national highway system in the United States expanded during the 1920s and 1930s.

History

The Teapot Dome Service Station was built on State Highway 12 in 1922. The building has a circular frame with a conical roof, sheet metal "handle," and a concrete "spout." The station was intended to be a reminder of the Teapot Dome Scandal that rocked the presidency of Warren G. Harding and sent Interior Secretary Albert Fall to prison for his role in leasing government oil reserves in, among other places, Teapot Dome, Wyoming. The unique service station continued operation as a full service gas station for some years. When Interstate 82 was constructed near Zillah, the station was relocated less than a mile down the Yakima Valley Highway. It is no longer in operation. Fund-raising is under way for a joint effort by the Zillah Chamber of Commerce and the local Lion's Club to preserve the structure. The plan is to move the structure - which is on the National Register of Historical Places - to town and convert it into a tourism information center.