A piece of history lives on at Johnson’s Station, a mid-century Longmont institution that hopes to once again become a community gathering place.
Johnson’s Station is the new name of Johnson’s Corner, a gas station that stood on South Main Street decades ago. Designed by Colorado architect Eugene Groves, the building began pumping gasoline and serving drinks to Longmont residents in 1937.
In 2003, the station was relocated to the Prospect neighborhood of Longmont and lay idle until Erie-based Nassar Development purchased the property several years ago.
“It’s been a long road to get here,” said Zachary Nassar, partner at Nassar Development.
On September 13, Johnson’s Station will celebrate its grand opening. Starting at 4 p.m., citizens are invited to stop by the station at 1111 Neon Forest Circle to enjoy live music, a lineup of hot rods and more.
A lot has happened at the old gas station since renovation work began in June 2021. An extension and a roof terrace were built to give staff more space to serve drinks and seat guests.
“There are a lot of really cool shops on this street and in Prospect alone, and we’re excited to expand that offering,” said Giovanni Leone, co-owner of Johnson’s Station. “Downtown is great, but it’s always nice to get a little off the beaten path.”
Some things have remained the same, however, including the station’s original walls and windows. A narrow staircase leads to the station’s second floor, where small alcoves provide cozy seating – perfect for reading a book or going on a first date, Leone said.
“The imperfections give the building its character,” Leone said of the building. “Those cool little nooks and crannies you can’t really replicate.”
By preserving the building’s distinctive Art Deco architecture, the station’s history is also preserved.
“There’s no other bar or establishment like (Johnson’s Station) in the entire country – none that I’ve ever been to,” said Colton Cartwright, co-owner of Leone. “It just needed a little bit of freshening up to preserve and restore it.”
Additionally, the space’s new additions attempt to evoke a sense of the past. The station’s original “Johnson’s Gas” sign has been carefully recreated and given neon lighting. Old gas pumps, donated by a Longmont collector, are being converted into electric vehicle chargers while retaining their old-fashioned design.
What used to be a pool behind the station is now a grassy patio with picnic tables and seating areas. Instead of demolishing the showers for the pool, the team converted them into outdoor bathrooms.
The property also includes a kitchen for classic foods and a parlor for ice cream and coffee. By making the space a gathering place for sweets and alcoholic beverages, everyone in the community will be served, Nassar explained.
“There’s something about ice cream that brings people together,” Nassar said. “You can hang out and have a beer, of course, but you can (also) bring your kids.”
Nassar said construction is about 95% complete, with final touches including decorating the walls with artwork from local artists and photographs of the original Johnson’s Corner that Nassar acquired from the Longmont Museum.
Hours have not been finalized, but Johnson’s Station is expected to remain open seven days a week from about 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Nassar said he has already received great feedback from Prospect residents who are excited to visit the new store.
Nassar, who grew up in Longmont, also appreciates the gas station’s place in American history. Johnson’s Corner was mentioned in Jack Kerouac’s 1957 book “On the Road,” which Nassar called a quintessential American novel.
“The fact that this physical place is part of the book is a kind of story in and of itself,” Nassar said.
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