This 1926 photo shows the construction of a service station for El Dac Oil Co. on Lisbon Avenue, renamed MacDill Avenue in the early 1940s after Col. Leslie MacDill, namesake of the then-MacDill Airfield. El Dac Oil was established in 1926, and the station was the first of ten planned by the new operation, each to have the same design, color scheme, and stucco finish. This location also served as their executive offices. They made gasolines such as Golden Flash, especially formulated for the Florida Climate. Records indicate that the original owner, E. Howard Cadle sold his interest in the company in late 1926. El Dac dissolved in 1936, most likely a victim of the Great Depression.

In 1986, Hodgell-Gillman Gallery opened here as a showplace for Florida artists. A year later principal Joan Hodgell of Sarasota pulled out, and Jan Stein, a silent partner, took over management with Barbara Gillman. By 1989, the name was changed to Stein Gallery when Gillman relinquished her share of the operation. The gallery closed in 1990. From 1991 to 1993, three businesses were listed on the site: Lawrence Charles Gallery, Rowe Holmes Hammer Russel Architects, and finally Shiraz Oriental Rug Gallery. Notice little has changed in the shape of the buildings that remain. Shiraz, who still occupies the building, added the green stone facade seen today.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved