email: roadarch@outlook.com

South Carolina Signs (page 1)

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Allendale:
Lobster House Restaurant: 1, 2 [map]

Anderson:
Boulevard Lanes

Beaufort:
Maryland Fried Chicken [map]

Coburg Milk
Charleston, SC		 Berlin's for Men and Women
Charleston, SC
The Coburg Milk sign and statue were installed in 1959. The cow is painted and dressed up for holidays. I'm told that the platform with the cow and carton of milk still revolve but it wasn't spinning when I was here in 2007. The statue is removed temporarily when hurricanes come to town. In 2022, a blue and white calf was installed on the platform with the cow. [map]

Berlin's for Men and Women clothing store has been here since 1883. This sign appears to be from the 1940s or 1950s. The store is now known as Berlin's for Men. On the bottom of the sign, it reads "Canali" on one side and "Hickey-Freeman" on the other. There have been other brands listed on the sign in previous years. This photo is from 2007. Around 2012, the sign was either restored or replicated. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

More Charleston:
Basil Thai Cuisine [map]
Jantzen Lock & Safe [map]
Morris Sokol Furniture: 1, 2, 3 [map]
former Tellis Pharmacy

Chesnee:
Davidson's [gone]

Ed Robinson Laundry
& Dry Cleaners
Columbia, SC		 Grand Motel
Columbia, SC		 Maurice's BBQ
West Columbia, SC
Ed Robinson Cleaners was founded in 1919. This sign appears to be from the 1960s. The sign was adapted for Michael's Cleaners by 2021. [map]

The Grand Motel sign appears to be from the 1950s. The animated star on top was not part of its original design. [map]

Maurice's BBQ was founded in 1939. The company now has 17 locations around Columbia. This location with its 100-foot-tall sign is from 1953. For more, see this website. [map]

More Columbia:
Adluh Flour [map]
Anchor Cafe [vintage; gone]
Eckerds Drugs [vintage; gone]
Motor Supply Co. [map]
Northside Plaza [gone]

Conway:
Nye's Pharmacy [map]

South of the Border
Dillon, SC
South of the Border started out as a beer stand in 1949 and has grown into a 135-acre tourist trap par excellence. Situated just south of the NC border, halfway between the Northeast and Florida on I-95, it is packed with souvenir and fireworks shops, statues, restaurants, arcades and kiddie rides. South of the Border also features the nearly 200 feet tall Sombrero Tower which has a glass elevator to an observation deck. You also can't miss the nearly 100-foot-tall statue of Pedro, SOB's mascot, which is the largest neon sign east of the Mississippi. The Golf of Mexico mini golf course is now Pedro's Concrete Bazaar with lawn statuary plunked down on the greens.

SOB spends over $40,000 a year on approximately 200 billboards along I-95 between NJ and FL promoting the place. A typical sign reads "You Never Sausage a Place!" and has a giant tacked-on pink sausage. All the signs are different and each one tells you just how many miles remain to get there.

For more South of the Border attractions, see my other pages: the Dinosaur, the Silver Slipper, the Dog, the Elephant, the Jackalope, the Giant Burger, and Peddler's Steakhouse (the sombrero-shaped restaurant). For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Easley:
Pete's No. 6 [map]

Estill:
Wiggins & Son Hardware [map]

Sundae House
Florence, SC		 Maryland
Fried Chicken
Florence, SC		 Thunderbird Motor Inn
Florence, SC
The Sundae House opened in 1964. [map]

This Maryland Fried Chicken restaurant was part of a Southern chain. There are many other surviving examples including these in Georgia. [map]

The Thunderbird Motor Inn was built in 1967. There were other locations in the chain with nearly identical signs: Jacksonville, FL; Myrtle Beach, SC; Hardeeville, SC; and probably others. This is the only sign that has survived. The covered-up word read "Kitchen." In 2018, the motel become a Motel 6. The restaurant and sign remain. However, the bottom panels were replaced with a digital display. For more, see this website. [map]

Gaffney:
Mr. Waffle

Big Mac's
Tire Store [gone]
Greenwood, SC		 Dixie Drive-in
Greenwood, SC
There were originally two of these signs at Big Mac's Tire Store on opposite ends of the building. The store has been here since at least the 1970s. This photo is from 2009. The sign was still there in 2012. Although the store is still there, this sign was gone by 2016. For more, see this website.

The Dixie Drive-in opened in 1959. For more, see this website. [map]

More Greenwood:
Emerald Lanes [gone]

SC (page 2) Main Signs Page