Although it was developed by a single owner, Van Downing, this row of one-story stucco Moderne retail buildings was constructed one building at a time soon after State Street became U.S. 51. The Capri Theater (1940, James T. Canizaro; 3023 N. State) with its stylish corner windows and lally columns, anchors the north end. Next door at 3025 N. State, Van Downing’s former Texaco Service Station (c. 1937), a standardized design by company architect Walter Dorwin Teague, features the brand’s characteristic double-fin canopy.
The two-story International Style former Commercial Bank and Trust (c. 1950; 3028 N. State) has flat cantilevered canopies to shade its bands of windows and a rounded corner. Walker’s Drive-In (1947; 3016 N. State), a Moderne design with glass block and smooth stucco walls, features a side drive-through window, front outdoor dining, and prominent neon signs.