This is a picture of the Pure Oil Service Station on the corner of Main Street and Virginia Avenue that has witnessed a number of gas stations attempt to find success. Recently, the location has been home to a used car business and today it houses an appliance repair store. The picture also appears to show a very rare Metropolitan Sunbeam automobile filling up at the pumps. The vehicle was owned by Terry Bland.

Before the opening of the Meadowbrook Mall and other shopping plazas in Bridgeport and Clarksburg, downtown Clarksburg was home to many huge stores and Parsons Souders was one of the biggest. It eventually became Stone & Thomas and then had operations in the downtown - where the current City of Clarksburg City Hall is located - and the mall before closing its downtown operations. Today, the Stone & Thomas site at the mall is home to Elder-Beerman. 

 

Editor's Note: This ongoing photo feature of pictures from Bridgeport and throughout the Mountain State is part of local historian Richard "Dick" Duez's collection. Duez, the unofficial historian of Bridgeport, would appreciate any scanned photos emailed to him for use here or to include in his ongoing efforts to preserve local history. You can email photos, or let him know how to acquire copies of photos you may have in your possession, to Duez at dick.do@frontier.com.