Elmer and Henry Nickle built the Airplane Filling Station, as it is commonly known, along the newly widened US 25 in 1930. The two brothers knew the value of using an eye catching design for their station. They knew that the key to success would be too not only serve the residents of the area, but they would also need to draw for the recent influx of travelers that the introduction of the automobile to the mass public had created. They chose the Fantastic style of architecture in order to make their station more appealing to the traveling public.

Saving a Unique piece of Knoxville's roadside history
by Kevin Lee Pettiford
Reprinted here with the permission of the "Knoxville Journal" July, 2004

Knox Heritage and the Airplane Filling Station Preservation Association (AFSPA) met of July 1 to discuss the preservation of the historic landmark at 6829 Clinton Highway.