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NECC celebrates its many supporters, fills up on nostalgia

NECC celebrates its many supporters, fills up on nostalgia

Rob Cooper stands next to the flying Pegasus at his restored Mobil Station on Route 44 in Millerton.

Photo by Christine Bates

MILLERTON — The North East Community Council (NECC) celebrated its donors under a tent next to Millerton’s iconic Mobil gas station on Saturday Sept. 21.

Guests mingled and explored the down-to-the-last-detail restoration of a 1957 Mobil gas station with its emblematic flying Pegasus, period gas pumps and a 1957 Chevrolet pickup while snacking on pizza from a food truck.

Christine Sargent, NECC’S executive director, thanked all of the contributors for making NECC’s expanding programs possible.
The station was acquired by Rob Cooper, owner of Associated Lightning Protection, in 2019 and became an instant Millerton landmark. The site of an abandoned gas station that sits between two functioning gas stations on Route 44 continues to be renovated.

Asked why he recreated a Mobil Gas Station, Cooper explained his nostalgic passion for old gas stations and also not wanting a national retailer at the entrance to the village which would compete with established mom and pop businesses. The gas station is not permitted to dispense fuel or operate as a business but has become a community gathering spot. The next event will be a car show on Oct. 4.

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