The station was designed in 1936 by Gulf Oil Corporation's architect P. L. R. Hogner as part of a company drive to create buildings that looked less like gas stations and more like banks and libraries in their details, materials, and massing.
The Embassy Gulf Service Station was to be Gulf Oil's 61st station within the city of Washington. Because its site was next to Rock Creek Park, the building's design was reviewed and modified somewhat by the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Park Service, and the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The final design called for a small building of grey stone similar in color to the church opposite the station; whether or not the two buildings harmonized by design is unknown.
The Embassy Gulf Service Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 1993. It is still used for its original purpose; as of 2007[update], the building serves as a repair shop and Sunoco station.
