Valley Rewind: Melvin Lance's Esso Station

This vintage photograph from our extensive archives showcases the iconic Melvin Lance's Esso Station. Situated at the junction of State Street and Montreat Road, where Town Square is currently located, this spot was once home to Black Mountain's earliest schoolhouse, the quaint one-room Kerlee School House. Erected in the early 1920s, Lance's Esso station was acquired by James Melvin Lance in 1930. By 1938, the station boasted comprehensive greasing and oil services alongside state-of-the-art facilities, including impeccably clean restrooms. Despite its long-standing presence in the community, the station ceased gasoline sales in 2008 before its eventual demolition.