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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Virginia Signs (page 3) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Joy Garden [gone] Richmond, VA |
The Triple Richmond, VA |
King's Fish [gone] Richmond, VA |
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Joy Garden opened in 1958 and this sign was from then. It was the oldest Chinese restaurant in Richmond. This photo is from 2009. In 2014, the neon was removed and the sign was repainted. The placed closed in 2016 and the sign was gone by 2017. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Triple sign has been here since at least the 1970s. This photo is from 2009. The Triple closed in 2011. The building was still vacant in 2018. The building now houses the Don't Look Back restaurant and the sign is still there. For more, see this website. [map] This photo of the King's Fish sign is from 2007. By 2008, the sign was gone. For more, see this website. |
| Richmond Camera Shop Richmond, VA |
Natural Gas Company of Virginia Richmond, VA |
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The Richmond Camera Shop was founded in 1938 and was the first camera shop in town. This sign, now missing its neon, may have been built then. This photo is from 2010. In 2013, this sign was refurbished, without neon, and now reads Richmond Camera Lofts. For more, see this website. [map]
The Natural Gas Company of Virginia signs are probably from the 1950s. The storefront is boarded up now but the project sign remains. [map] |
| Bill's Barbecue [gone] Richmond, VA |
Satellite Restaurant Richmond, VA |
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Bill's Barbecue opened in 1930 and was famous for its barbecue pork sandwiches, limeade and other regional offerings. There were several locations in Richmond. This one had a drive-through window and drive-in canopies. The chain closed all of its locations in 2012. In 2014, this location was demolished. The sign is gone now.
The Satellite Restaurant opened in 1962. This photo is from 2010. Around 2012, the sign was repainted. For more, see this website. [scan thanks Robby Delius] [map] |
| Mill End Shop Richmond, VA |
A&N Stores Richmond, VA |
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These two signs are on display at the Valentine Richmond History Center. [map]
The Mill End Shop sign was built in the late 1950s. The business closed in 1996 and donated this sign to the museum. It was restored in 2008. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. This A&N Stores sign is from 1930. It was previously installed at the company's Culpeper, VA location which closed in 2008. A&N started out selling dry goods and went on to become a chain of sporting goods stores. There was another sign like this one in Richmond with the neon removed and the A&N text painted over. |
| Coca-Cola signs Richmond, VA |
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| These huge Coca-Cola signs are composed of incandescent bulbs. In the storefront below is now Harvey's Progressive Barber Shop. There was supposedly a paper goods store here originally. In 2007, these signs were repainted. By 2016, the panels had faded considerably again. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| H&C Coffee and Dr Pepper signs Roanoke, VA |
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The H&C Coffee and Dr Pepper signs enrich Roanoke's downtown skyline. The H&C Coffee Company has been based in Roanoke since 1927. The H&C sign was erected in 1946 at this location. From 2005-2006, the H&C Coffee sign and Dr Pepper signs were refurbished and reinstalled (bottom row of photos, thanks Randy Hogan). Both signs were moved from their original locations (top photo) so that they would still be visible from the highway when the new art museum is completed.
The Dr Pepper sign is believed to have been built in the mid-1940s. It is believed that more Dr Pepper is sold in the Roanoke Valley than any other area east of the Mississippi River. Roanoke broke records for its consumption of Dr Pepper in the late 1950s was known as the Dr Pepper Capital of the World. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| Sunset-Inn Motel [gone] Roanoke, VA |
Melody Haven Roanoke, VA |
Wheeler's Laundry & Cleaners Roanoke, VA |
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The Sunset-Inn Motel was originally the Shangri-la Motel. This photo is from 2003. This sign has been removed and replaced with a plastic box sign for the Airport Inn. For more, see this website.
Melody Haven sells musical instruments and supplies. Its bass fiddle sign was designed by the store owner in the 1950s. When the store moved around the corner in 1977, they brought the sign with them. [map] Wheeler's Laundry & Cleaners has been around since the 1940s. The round part on the freestanding sign held a clock originally. [map] |
| Sunshine One Hour Cleaners Roanoke, VA |
Commodore Inn Roanoke, VA |
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The Sunshine One Hour Cleaners sign is probably from the 1950s. The business closed in 2021. For more, see this website. [map]
The Commodore Inn restaurant and bar opened in the early 1940s. These signs were probably built then or shortly thereafter. The Commodore Inn closed in the late 1990s. These photos are from 2007. The text sign was painted over and then disappeared around 2012. The rooftop ship sign was removed in 2012. In 2014, it was refurbished for about $2,500. The sign is now installed inside the Roanoke City Market Building. For more, see this website. |
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More Roanoke:
Hitching Post Motel [vintage; gone] Mill Mountain Star Towers Shopping Center |
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Virginia (page 1) |
Virginia (page 2) |
Virginia (page 4) |
| Main Signs Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |