Photos: Historic Issaquah gas station is a piece of automotive history | Seattle Refined

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The historic Hailstone Feed Store and Shell Gas Station sits pretty on Front Street in Issaquah, Washington. The vibrant, well-known red and yellow color palette attracts history buffs, antique car collectors and Instagram influencers to the roadside beauty. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

According to Downtown Issaquah's website, this little gas station served a number of different purposes over the years: a feed store, grocery, warehouse and, of course, a gasoline station. Today, the beautifully renovated space is available to rent for events, weddings, conferences and special occasions, and comfortably accommodates up to 49 people. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

The two antique gas pumps out front have earned a bit of Instagram fame. Visitors make the trip to Issaquah just to pose between the two Tokheim Dome Oil Pumps, a type of '40s fuel dispenser that changed the way drivers top off their tanks. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

According to www.energy.gov, gas purchased in the early 1940s would have only cost around .20 cents per gallon. Today, Washington gas stations hover around $3 per gallon. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

At the start of the 20th{ }century, gasoline-powered vehicles took center stage mandating a need for road construction in Washington state. And in 1941, Frank Hailstone and his sister, Nell Hailstone Falkenstein, purchased the Issaquah building and opened it as a combo feed store and{ } gasoline station the following year. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

The Hailstone Feed Store and Shell Gasoline Station features the distinctive Royal Dutch Shell colors: red and yellow. The bright, attention-grabbing color palette is still used by Shell stations today. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

A large sliding door opens up to the interior of the historic station, once used as a grocery store and retail area. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

The space is divided into five areas: a spacious main room, small office, updated restroom, retro service bay and cash register nook. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

The renovated interior of the station truly reflects a slice of history, from perfectly weathered floorboards and exposed beam ceilings overhead, to antique automotive collectables and service tools once used on a daily basis. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

The small, updated office is the most modern room in the station. Peer into the main room from a seat at the desk. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

A small nook between the main room and the service bay reveals a slice of payment transaction history. An antique adding machine and cash register by R.C. Allen adds weight to the clerk desk. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined){ }

An old fly swat hangs on the wall beside a red and yellow pamphlet cabinet touting Shell touring information. This tiny room looks like something straight out of a museum. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

Old gas cans, faded glass bottles and heavy service manuals line the shelves in the clerk nook. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

Step from the clerk room into the spacious, two-car service bay. Two red and yellow doors in Shell colors offer guests a retro-looking restroom with an old Good Year tire sign above. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

A collection of oil cans, rusty and dusty car parts and boxes of washers take up space on the rustic garage shelves. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

Fun fact: The little blue and red U.S. Mail bin on the side of the building is actually the store's real mailbox. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

In 2003, the city of Issaquah and the Downtown Issaquah Association collaborated to restore the dated building to its beautiful '40s aesthetic. In the process, a faded advertisement for Owl Cigar was revealed on the back exterior wall of the building. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

According to local accounts, local merchant and proprietor Nicholas J. Burke advertised Owl Cigars on the rear wall of his warehouse in 1903. At the time, the colorful ad would have attracted the attention of rail passengers headed to the nearby Issaquah train depot. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

Visit the Downtown Issaquah website to book a slice of history for your next event. Or take a road trip to Front Street to fill your Instagram with some pretty unique photos. (Rachael Jones / Seattle Refined)

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