FOLEY — In a transformative shift from its automotive service roots, the building now housing the Drowsy Poet coffee shop in Foley, once known as the Pure Oil Station, served as a comprehensive car care facility in the 1960s.

This building, located on South McKenzie Street, was once operated by Leon Leonard for L.H. "Red" Booker. Paul Leonard, grandson of Leonard and member of the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission, said Pure Oil Station was a one-stop-shop for those who needed basic car services.

"At the time my grandfather operated the station, it was a full-service station," Leonard said. "The most basic services were filling the car with fuel, but you would also offer to check the oil level, tire pressure and windshield wiper blades. In addition, you would clean the windshield for the customer. The north side of the building had two bays in which a vehicle could be serviced such as changing oil, replacing the brakes, changing fan belts and such."

During this time, the quick oil change facilities that are around today were nonexistent, leading individuals to rely on service stations such as the Pure Oil Station for their regular car maintenance needs.

Leonard added this his father also spent time working for the local service station run by his grandfather.

"My father and his cousin spent the summer of 1966 earning money by washing pulpwood trucks, which they would then spend by going over to the pool," he said. "My father remembers waiting at the Pure Oil Station for the car hauler to arrive at the dealership with news cars. As soon as it arrived, they would excitedly go over to look at them as the cars were unloaded."

In 1975, the station changed hands, transitioning to "Booker's Union 76 Station" under the ownership of Jimmy Paul. Today, the building stands as The Drowsy Poet coffee shop, maintaining its original architecture as an adaptive reuse historic rehabilitation project.

Unlike historic restoration, which aims to preserve a building in a specific historical period, or preservation, which maintains a property as it has naturally evolved over time, historic rehabilitation recognizes the necessity of making changes or additions to a historic property to accommodate ongoing or changing purposes while preserving its historic character. The flat roof, metal casement windows, large glass garage doors and metal awning, characteristic of mid-20th century architecture, have been retained.

Within the Drowsy Poet, the coffee shop features a display with a miniature traffic light, a miniature cone, an old tool box and more to pay homage to the building's history.

The Drowsy Poet building is just one of the historic buildings in Foley that is being reused today, and Foley Main Street Executive Director Darrelyn Dunmore said she thinks these types of buildings showcase the rich history the city has to offer.

"To me, downtowns and historic districts are the heart of cities," Dunmore said. "You can go to a strip mall and go to Walmart, and it's just like 'Anywhere, USA,' but where you're going to find the character and the heart of any city is in their historic downtown."

Dunmore added that Foley Main Street takes part in a tour app, Distrx, to allow those who are in the community as well as tourists the opportunity to learn more about the history of Foley.

This app features multiple historic marks, including the Pure Oil Station, and gives the historical background on each of these places.

"With the fast, easy service of dipping in and out of all these little stores like Walmart and Target and all that, we want people to stop and wander around downtown and go to the little boutiques and go to the stores," she said. "That is all part of the effort, to bring the community back downtown."

Leonard added that history is what makes a community who they are.

"These buildings are not just structures to them. They represent their lives and memories. To them these buildings act as cues to remember people, places, and events from a personal past that might otherwise be lost."