Gas me up and call it Sunday. On any given corner, in any given town, there would most likely be a “full-service” gas station, dotting the landscape just like the box o’ coffee shops do today.

East Lyme has had its share of stations over the years. One of Niantic’s full-service stations was built by Tydewater Oil in 1953/54 and is now home to Pro Tek Auto.

When the Methodist and Congregational churches merged in 1953, the oil company inquired about leasing the land where the Methodist church stood. The church was torn down and the Tydol service station was built.

Complete with three bays to service vehicles and two gas pumps with gas jockeys providing many free services such as checking the car’s oil and cleaning windows, the station performed all these feats while customers sat in the comfort of their vehicles.

Pro Tek has proudly been in business since 1985 and still uses the same bays, still offering vehicle maintenance, though there are no longer any remnants of the gas pumps.

Interested in learning more about East Lyme history? Visit: eastlymehistoricalsociety.org to see how you can get involved in preserving the past and present for the future.