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North Carolina Signs (page 2)

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Bull Durham Tobacco signs
Durham, NC
reproduction sign Old Bull Durham Bulls Athletic Park
The Bull Durham Tobacco reproduction sign is located on the side of the Blackwell & Co. Tobacco Factory Building. It is a replica of a vintage painted advertisement discovered under the siding on the building during its 2005 restoration. For more, see this website. [map]

The Old Bull sign is installed on the roof of the same building. It was built in 2008 and features animated neon. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Durham Bulls Athletic Park sign is a recreation of the sign used in the 1988 movie "Bull Durham". For more, see this website. [map]

Public Hardware
Durham, NC		 Red Goose Shoes
Goldsboro, NC		 Thomas Office Supply [gone]
Goldsboro, NC
The Public Hardware sign was once located downtown and relocated with the business when they moved. They are Durham's oldest hardware store, family-operated since 1924. [night photo thanks Robby Delius] [map]

This Red Goose Shoes sign hangs above the Family Shoe Store. For more, see this webpage. For more Red Goose Shoe signs, see this page. [map]

Thomas Office Supply was long gone but this sign remained when this photo was taken in 2010. By 2011, the sign was gone.

Fairmont:
Hotpoint Appliances [gone]

More Fayetteville:
Downtown Motel [vintage; gone]
Hamont Grill
Hay St. Shoe Shop [vintage; gone]
Tallywood Shopping Center

Gastonia:
Smith's Drug [gone]

Goldsboro:
Terminal Hotel & Cafe

Graham:
Wrike Drugs

Bildon
Hendersonville, NC		 Triangle Motor Inn
Jacksonville, NC
The Bildon ferris wheel with sign is 50 feet tall. This photo is from 2007. Bildon closed up soon after that but this ferris wheel was still there in 2019. The panels with Bildon's name and license number have been painted over. [map]

The Triangle Motor Inn features a giant sign with chasing bulbs and an animated flame. This sign might have advertised for a Red Carpet Inn originally like this one in Harrisonburg, VA. [map]

More Hendersonville:
Apothecary Shop
Kelsey's Restaurant

High Point:
Colonel's Catch [vintage; gone]
Frank's Modern Shoe Shop [gone]

Martin Drug Co.
Kannapolis, NC		 Masonic Lodge
Louisburg, NC		 Three Pines Motel [gone]
Maggie Valley, NC
The Martin Drug Co. sign appears to be from the 1950s. [map]

The Masonic Lodge in Louisburg was established in the late 1800s. These metal signs might have had neon originally and then were later refurbished with flat metal panels. [map]

The Three Pines Motel opened in 1963. This photo is from 2003. Later, this sign was replaced with a plastic backlit sign.

Kenly:
Pine View Motel [map]

Kinston:
GE Appliances [gone]

Lexington:
Army Navy Store

Lumberton:
Masonic Lodge [map]

Morehead City:
Cox Family Restaurant

Star Lite Motel
Mount Airy, NC		 Big Man sign
Mount Airy, NC
The Star Lite Motel sign is strikingly similar to the Holiday Inn "Great Sign". However, I don't believe it ever was. This postcard appears to show the sign in the 1960s in what is probably its original look. At some point between the 2001 and 2010 photos shown above, the sign was repainted and a message board added. In 2023, the sign was painted white and will likely be repainted with the new business name, Bea's Parkway Inn. [map]

This Big Man sign was created for the Big Man Shell Service gas station in the 1950s. It was probably inspired by the signs created by the National Animated Sign Co. There was another location with this sign in Washington, NC. When the photo at left was taken around 2001, it was then a BP station. Sometime between 2001 and 2006, his moveable arm was damaged and he was repainted for Pack's Produce. In 2010 (right photo), the business had become Young Enterprises and the sign was repainted again. [map]

Lewis Drugs [gone]
Mount Olive, NC		 Circle Appliance [gone]
Newton Grove, NC		 Woodard Drug Store
Princeton, NC
The Lewis Drug store housed the Center Street Pharmacy and later a cafe but this sign remained until around 2022.

The GE sign at Circle Appliance Co. was mass-produced. There are others just like it in Mount Airy, NC, Newport, TN [gone], and elsewhere. This sign was removed in 2016.

Woodard Drug Store opened in 1935 and is still in business. This sign appears to be from then. When this photo was taken in 2010, the sign looked recently restored. [map]

North Carolina Equipment Company
Raleigh, NC
2005: 2010:
The North Carolina Equipment Company operated here from 1940 to 1996. It's not known if this double-sided neon sign was built in 1940 or at a slightly later time. The tractor portion of the sign is 25 feet long and eight feet tall. The text portion of the sign is 50 feet long. After North Carolina Equipment Company left, the building had been vacant for many years. In 2009, Lulu Press moved into the building and had the sign refurbished. Due to the amount of lead paint, the sign was refurbished by a metal fabrication company rather than a sign company. The lettering on the bottom panels and the "Dresser" brand on the tractor were painted over. The City prohibited replacing the neon. In 2018, the building was demolished and the sign was put in storage. In 2020, the tractor was installed on front of the new building. I don't know what happened with the text panel. There were similar signs in Greensboro, NC; Greenville, NC and Savannah, GA. [map]

Don Murray's
Barbecue & Seafood [gone]
Raleigh, NC		 Revel's
Barbecue Lodge [gone]
Rockingham, NC		 Rowland Supply Co. [gone]
Rowland, NC
Don Murray's Barbecue & Seafood opened in the 1970s. Their sign featured a miniature version of their building. The restaurant closed in 2007 and, by 2010, the building and sign were gone. [photo thanks Robby Delius]

The original Revel's Barbecue Lodge sign was built around 1952. It had a flashing arrow and the pig had animated hooves. The sign was redesigned in the early 1970s. "Chicken in a Basket" was changed to "Fried Chicken". The restaurant was demolished in 2008. The sign was gone by 2013.

The Rowland Supply Co. Westinghouse sign was still there in 2009 when this photo was taken. There was a church in the space below. By 2013, the sign was gone.

More Raleigh:
Gables Motel Lodge

Elks Lodge
Salisbury, NC
This Elks Lodge sign is probably from the 1930s or 1940s. By 2016, the sign had been repainted. [map]

Selma:
Creech Drug Co.

Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge
Shelby, NC
Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge was founded in 1946 as Dedmond's Barbecue. The restaurant moved to this location in 1953. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

More Shelby:
Sears Roebuck
Shelby Cafe

Smithfield:
WMPM

Spencer:
Melba Motor Court [vintage; gone]

Statesville:
Little Pigs Barbecue

Tryon:
Valley Courts Motel

Vass:
Frigidaire [gone]

Waynesville:
Clyde's Restaurant

Wendell:
Chevrolet OK Used Cars

Arrowhead Motel
Whittier, NC		 Teddy Bear Motel [gone]
Whittier, NC		 New China Restaurant
(later China Poblana Restaurant) [gone]
Wilson, NC
The Arrowhead Motel sign must have had neon originally. [map]

The Teddy Bear Motel opened around 1956. The sign apparently always had backlit plastic letters. The motel and sign were demolished around 2017. For more, see this website.

The New China Restaurant, aka China Garden, was originally the Coral Room Restaurant. The lettering was changed on this artist palette-shaped sign with oversized silverware to reflect the new name. In 2006, the restaurant became "Las Amacas" and the sign was altered again. In 2011, there was another Mexican restaurant here and the sign was repainted. In 2012, the sign was painted yellow with no name on it. By 2016, the sign had been repainted for the China Poblana restaurant. By 2021, the sign was gone.

More Wilson:
Thomas Drugs [gone]

Winston-Salem:
Mr. Barbecue
National Welders

Zebulon:
Devil Dog Manufacturing

various cities:
Rexall Drug Stores

North Carolina
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