The Castle Car Wash

3801 W Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL

(Old Route 66)

* In 1925 Louis Ehrenberger purchased this piece land and and built this station on Ogden Avenue. In 1926 Ogden was designated as part of Route 66. His business partner, John Murphy operated the station and later purchased the building.

It was known as John J. Muprhy's Standard Oil Station until 1964 or so. It may have been closed for a few years in the mid to late 1960s. In 1970 it was known as the S&B Standard Service and in 1971 Gas Village. In the 1980s it became Castle Car Wash. In 2005 it was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It is located at Ogden and Hamilton Avenues.

As seen in this photo, some restoration has been done to the building. The Castle Car Wash name which was painted on the stone and brick, has been removed. The corniches on the tower have been reinstalled after having been removed out of fear they would fall.

Photo(s): 2012

*From the Route 66 Times

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

3801 W. Ogden. There is a Centennial Marker sign on the corner here too.

castle shaped building in sandstone, turret on the left, 2 service bays with white shutters on the right, concrete gs pumps island in the parking area in front

Historic Castle Car Wash, Chicago, Illinois. Click for St. view

This building, on the SE corner of Ogden and Hamlin, was designed to look like a castle from the Middle Ages, was built in 1925 and is the only historic gas station on U.S. 66 within Chicago's city limits. It is rumored to have been one of Al Capone's hideouts.

John J. Murphy ran it as a gas station for over 40 years. In the 1970s it became a S&B Standard Service, and in the 1980s a Car Wash.