The Long Way
Yakima County
A man stands in front of a teapot-shaped building and old gas pumps.
Plate I. Teapot Dome Service Station and gas pumps. From yakimaherald.com
Pump island, Teapot Dome Service Station.
Plate II. Pump island, Teapot Dome Service Station. Photograph by Photoken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Teapot Dome Service Station building.
Plate III. Teapot Dome Service Station building. Photograph by Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Teapot Dome Service Station in Zillah.
Plate IV. Teapot Dome Service Station in Zillah. Photograph by Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Teapot Dome Service Station with fuel pumps.
Plate V. Teapot Dome Service Station with fuel pumps. Photograph by Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Teapot Dome Service Station.
Plate VI. Teapot Dome Service Station. Photograph by Iflorea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Teapot Dome Service Station

Zillah, Yakima County, Washington. Historic landmark; April into September.

Details

Map. Zillah, Yakima County, Washington. Larger map
Where
117 First Ave., Zillah, WA 98953. Directions
When
Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.
Getting there
The centerpiece of Teapot Dome Memorial Park at 117 First Ave, a city property near the Zillah Civic Center.
Access
It is on 1st Avenue west of 2nd Street, on the right when traveling west.
Phone
509-829-5151
Website
cityofzillah.us
Managed by
City of Zillah.
Established
1922.

The building, which was vacant for many years and slowly deteriorating, was renovated and brought back to life. The new site was designed to mimic the Teapot Dome's long-time gas station operation.

Notable Events

  1. 1928Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Thomas purchased the Teapot and operated the gas station with a store fountain on the same site. cityofzillah.us
  2. 1978Interstate 82 construction forced the station from its original site; a car struck it five days before the move, after which it was reconstructed and moved 1.2 miles with state transportation assistance. cityofzillah.us
  3. 1985The Teapot was added to the National Register of Historic Places. yakimaherald.com
  4. 2006The station closed after operating at the Yakima Valley Highway site because of rising fuel prices. yakimaherald.com
  5. 2007The Teapot was listed on the Most Endangered List. cityofzillah.us
  6. 2007City officials bought the Teapot site in Zillah and began raising funds to restore and relocate it, adding replicas of period gas pumps and a neon "Gas" sign. yakimaherald.com
  7. 2012The building moved to 117 First Avenue, was completely restored, and became the visitor center and tourist destination. cityofzillah.us
  8. 2022The Teapot reopened for the season in April after two years of pandemic closure. yakimaherald.com

People

  • Jack Ainsworth, Built the Teapot by hand about three miles east of Zillah, capping it with a shallow conical roof.
  • Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Thomas, Purchasers and operators (From 1928).
  • Richard L. Thomas, Owner who prepared the National Register nomination form for the Teapot Dome Service Station (January 1985).
  • Dick Thomas, Ran the Teapot Dome Service Station while a teacher in Naches; convinced Eglet to return and manage it.
  • Gail Van Wyck, The Teapot's first paid employee, working 12 hours a week and managing the visitor center.
  • Tony Eglet, Managed the Teapot Dome Service Station for his brother-in-law Dick Thomas, pumping gas and selling candy and pop (1967-72).

Sources

  1. cityofzillah.us/visitors/zillah_teapot.php
  2. yakimaherald.com/news/local/lower_valley/lifelong-fan-of-zillah-teapot-shares-some-favorite-stories-as-quirky-landmark-re-opens-for/article_f2d9469c-2276-502a-8efa-982c43a30163.html
  3. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=222600
  4. npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/4d2ee737-fd0d-4190-8b8e-9c5f57902181
  5. treealive.com/nr/85001943
  6. preservewa.org/most_endangered/teapot-dome-gas-station
  7. yakimaherald.com/news/local/zillah-residents-visitors-celebrate-the-100-year-anniversary-of-the-teapot-dome-service-station/article_b4bcdade-36d2-11ed-a85f-9fce62693510.html