Pickerington Historical Society
Johnson’s Real Ice Cream celebrates its first anniversary this May, following the opening of its ninth location in Olde Pickerington Village last spring, on May 22. Nestled between Columbus Street and Hill Road, Johnson’s restored the former home of a historic Pickerington service station.
On May 20, 1946, almost exactly 79 years before Johnson’s opening, Ray “Kayo” Williamson purchased the lot at192 Hill Rd., formerly home to a Red Head gas station. There, he opened Williamson’s Sunoco. The gas station was Pickerington’s longest-running privately-owned business, becoming a cornerstone of Pickerington, which many referred to as The Station.
When it was first established, gas was 15.9¢ per gallon, and tires were $9.99. The station phone number was FR-74375. In 1958, the original building was replaced with what remains today.
In the 90s, a gas leak from one of the tanks spread into a small creek caddy-corner to the station. The leak left a financial burden, and the family decided not to replace the tanks, marking an end to gas sales at The Station.
During that time, Williamson started to show signs of Parkinson's, but his son, Craig, continued working at the station. Craig offered car services – from fixing tires and brakes to changing oil – but he also sold an eclectic mix of items to customers who visited the high-traffic corner, such as flowers and corn.
In 2004, Craig passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. The business was then passed down to his brother, Scott (Kay) Williamson, who used it as storage before selling the station to the City of Pickerington later that year. It was used by the City for storage for roughly two decades, until Johnson’s restored the property.
The Johnson’s team made necessary repairs to the building while keeping the integrity of the original building intact. Efforts involved replacing garage doors with windows, adding a rooftop and reinforcing the building.
“We think it turned out beautifully,” Johnson’s COO Christopher Van Horn says. “It was a part of the community for 58 years, and we’re hoping to be a part of it for another 58 or more.”
Megan Brokamp is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mbrokamp@cityscenemediagroup.com.
