As a rural agricultural community, Greenville remained relatively small until the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Extensions Railway arrived in the fall of 1880. Soon five different railway lines ran through town, and Greenville became a leading cotton marketing location. In 1913 a group of local business owners and county officials, along with the Booster Club, pitched in to pave the major entrances to the city, encouraging automobile traffic. The Bankhead Highway’s designation through Greenville followed soon after, when the 1917 Good Roads meeting in Mineral Wells laid out the highway’s “all-Texas” route. Traffic congestion became a problem by the 1940s, so the Bankhead was rerouted from the downtown commercial district to a four-lane divided expressway bypassing the town, the first of its kind along this road. When in town, stop at the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum to learn more about Greenville and its most decorated World War II veteran.
J. Punk McNatt Motor Company
2401 Johnson St.
The streamlined features of this 1930s Moderne Style former auto‐dealership also appeared in vehicles of the same era. Sleek lines and subtle curves replaced the box-like buildings and became part of a marketing strategy to sell cars with style.
More Locations in Greenville
Humble/Enco Station
2298 Lee St. (private property)
The gas station enthusiast is sure to keep busy in Greenville. Add this 1930s Humble/Enco station to the list of must‐see stations within the city limits. A relic of the Art Deco era, this is one of the few remaining stations of this design found along the Bankhead.
Sinclair Gas Station
2211 Stonewall St.
It’s easy to forget—in this day and age of non‐descript concrete block gas stations—that in the early and mid‐twentieth century, companies built sophisticated gas stations using high style architectural details. Such was the case with Sinclair Oil gas stations. While it’s easy to overlook today’s gas station, this former Sinclair station is sure to stop you in your tracks.
Gas Station
3204 Lee St.
Another architectural surprise awaits you in Greenville. This 1930s gas station is a large Spanish Colonial Revival building that is so big, it could nearly house two stations.
Gas Station
2800 Oneal St. (private property)
Seemingly out of place, sandwiched between two stores, this former gas station is unique for its corner lot location. In the days of thriving downtowns, a line of trucks was sure to have formed at this 1930s station after having picked up goods at the hardware store and heading back to the farm.