Red Top Garage

Hwy. CC (Route 66), Marshfield, MO
Phone:

East < GO > West

The Red Top Garage is all that is left of the Red Top Camp which, in the 1930s, consisted of several cottages, a cafe and garage. The cottages had toilets, showers, hot and cold running water, and kitchenettes. That made them pretty modern for the time.

The roof of the garage was made of red metal, with "Red Top" painted on it to attract tourists going by after I-44 opened. The original Route 66 bypassed the town in 1952 and in 1958 it became a freeway. Painting large signs on a roof was a fairly common advertising method at the time.

The garage is a simple concrete block building with a metal clad gable roof. It was originally a two-bay garage with overhead doors, a single entrance door and corner office windows that were typical of the time period. In this photo one of the of the overhead doors has been filled in with a wall and the other has been updated but appears to be in poor condition. The corner office windows appear to have been replaced by slightly smaller units with the rest of the space filled in. The entry door has also been replace with a windowless style door. The two restroom doors on the end of the building are also typical for a gas station of the time period.

It is located on Route 66 (Hwy. CC) one mile west of Hwy. B, south side.

Photo(s): 2016