Bedford Pennsylvania West End U.S. 30 Lincoln Highway Coffee Pot Gas Real Photo Postcard

The Coffee Pot, situated on the west end of Bedford, Pennsylvania, exemplifies programmatic or novelty architecture, a prevalent trend in American roadside design during the 1920s and 1930s. Built around 1927 by David Bert Koontz, this oversized coffee pot-shaped structure was strategically designed to capture the attention of early automobile travelers, initially serving as a lunch counter or diner. Such whimsical buildings capitalized on the novelty of car travel, providing memorable landmarks along emerging highway systems.