Oasis Diner

The Oasis Diner, manufactured by Mountain View Diners in Signac, NJ, was shipped via railroad to the east side of Plainfield, Indiana in 1954. The original owners were James Canavan and Frank Thurber. Frank sold out and moved away but James owned and operated the Oasis until he sold it to George and Mona Thompson in the early 1970s. The Thompsons ran the Diner until 1982 when it was purchased by Walter and Evelyn Dininger. Walter then leased the Diner to Raymond Piercy in 1985 and he eventually bought it in 1987 and owned and operated it until 2008. Raymonds health forced him to close down the Diner in 2008. In 2010, Indiana Landmarks listed the Diner on their 10 Most Endangered Indiana Buildings list. This listing prompted the Town of Plainfield to conduct a feasibility study on the possible relocation of the Diner just 4 miles west to their recently revitalized Town Center. Local residents, Doug Huff and Don Rector, answered the Towns request to relocate, restore and reopen this historical landmark and after more than 3 years of research, planning and construction, the Oasis Diner reopened in its current location in November of 2014. Both the exterior and interior of the Oasis Diner have been restored back to their original appearance. The Diner also remains located on the Historic National Road and is the only diner on the National Road in Indiana and is only 1 of less than 5 historical diners to remain on US 40 from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.