This gutted gas station in rural Olar, S.C., stands as a testament to sturdy buildings that litter the South along major highways in the days before the interstates. The empty station looks like a perfect place for a movie set for a film of a time long past.
Situated along U.S. Highway 301 in the Bamberg County town of about 200 people, it’s not hard to imagine a booming business located here in the 1950s with big, American cars zooming by and locals stopping by for a Coca-Cola and bag of peanuts. Across the street today is another abandoned gas station, competition from the past.
Bamberg County is home to about 16,000 people, 27 percent of whom live below the federal poverty level, according to 2012 Census estimates. The majority of residents are black (61.4 percent) with whites comprising 36.8 percent.
- QuickFacts about Bamberg County from the U.S. Census.
- More on Olar from Wikipedia.
Photo taken January 2014 by Andy Brack. All rights reserved.