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email: agilitynut@hotmail.com |
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| Connecticut Signs |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| U.S.A. Motel Newington, CT |
Maple Motel Newington, CT |
Billy's Package Store Hartford, CT |
Carpet Giant Hartford, CT |
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The U.S.A. Motel is one of several old motels still in business on the Berlin Turnpike. This sign is lit at night. For more, see this website.
The Maple Motel sign has been repainted recently. I don't know if it is lit at night. Billy's Package Store is a liquor store. The sign's arrow probably had neon or bulbs originally. The Carpet Giant warehouse/showroom is now occupied by Graybar and other tenants but this sign is still standing. |
| Ten-Pin Bowl South Windsor, CT |
Norwich Ten Pin Bowl Norwich, CT |
Hi-Way Bowling Lanes Plainfield, CT |
Battiston's Avon, CT |
Mahaiwe Jewelers Canaan, CT |
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The Ten-Pin Bowl is an example of once commonplace bowling alley signage. The giant ten-pin helps to distinguish it from other types of bowling (candlepin and duckpin) which are popular in New England.
The Norwich Ten Pin Bowl incorporates a giant bowling pin into its signage. For more, see this website. I'm pretty sure the Hi-Way Bowling Lanes features duckpin bowling. Battiston's, a dry cleaners chain, was established in West Hartford, CT in 1946. They now have 17 locations. This sign appears to be from the 1950s. I don't know of any other locations that have an old sign like this one. The Mahaiwe Jewelers sign is probably from the 1950s or earlier. |
| As-U-Like-It Cleaners [gone] Meriden, CT |
As-U-Like-It Cleaners [gone] Middletown, CT |
Firelite Shopping Center Orange, CT |
Garden Park Motel Norwalk, CT |
Frank Pepe's Pizzeria New Haven, CT |
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Both As-U-Like It Cleaners signs and businesses are gone. As-U-Like It was a CT chain. While I think a few of their locations still exist, I don't believe any still have old signs. For more, see this website.
The Firelite Shopping Center and huge sign appear to be from the 1950s or 1960s. The Garden Park Motel has what appears to be a refurbished 1950s sign. It is lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. Frank Pepe's Pizzeria was founded in 1925. Their brick oven pizza gets rave reviews. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| A.D. Perkins Rubber Stamps New Haven, CT |
The Anchor New Haven, CT |
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A.D. Perkins Rubber Stamps was established in 1876. This sign is probably from the 1950s. For more, see this website.
The Anchor restaurant and bar opened in the 1940s. The storefront appears to be from then. This sign with channel lettering is probably much more modern. It is lit at night. For more, see this website. |
| Owl Shop New Haven, CT |
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| The Owl Shop was established in 1934 as a bookstore and expanded to include tobacco sales. At one time, there were five locations. This store opened in 1937 and is the only survivor. There is an Owl Shop in Worcester, MA that might have been related at one time. Their owl logos are very similar but I have never found any mention of a relationship between the two stores. For more, see this website. |
| Cadillac sign Milford, CT |
Mitchell Saab Simsbury, CT |
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This plastic Cadillac sign was previously located in Westport, CT at O'Keefe Cadillac-Oldsmobile which later became Curran Cadillac. When the dealership closed in 2009, Greg D'Agostino purchased the sign and now displays it at his used car lot, Bel-Air Auto. The sign is about 18' tall including the pole. For more, see this website.
Mitchell Saab has three vintage signs on display at the back of their dealership. There is a Mobilgas pegasus sign, a Firestone Tires sign, and an unusual Pontiac sign. I have not seen a black Pontiac sign with this design before. They are usually dark blue and do not have these stripes on the side. |
| Stevens Ford [gone] Milford, CT |
Dan Perkins Chevrolet [gone] Milford, CT |
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The Stevens Ford rooftop sign was built in 1959. In 2010, the sign was removed in order to demolish the building and replace it with a new one. The owners would like to replace the neon on the sign with LED lighting and reinstall it on the new building. However, the City may not permit it. For more, see this website.
Dan Perkins Chevrolet features a classic "bowtie" neon sign on their roof. In 2010, it was announced that this building would be replaced with a drug store. The sign was removed. For more, see this website. |
| Hi-Ho Motel Fairfield, CT |
Old Colony Package Store Old Saybrook, CT |
Tom's Cafe Cromwell, CT |
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The Hi-Ho Motel opened in the 1940s. Only the "Hi-Ho" part of the sign is lit at night.
The Old Colony Package Store sign appears to have been refurbished recently. It is probably from the 1950s. This sign is lit at night. For more, see this website. Tom's Cafe had been closed for years when this photo was taken in 2009. By 2011, the sign was gone. |
| Alfredo's Riverside Middletown, CT |
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| Alfredo's Riverside restaurant has been "temporarily closed for interior repairs" since at least 2007. The signs appear to be from the 1950s. |
| John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home Meriden, CT |
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| This sign for John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home is probably from 1937 or earlier. The letters are translucent, opal glass and are or were lit from inside the sign. |
| Ocean Beach Park New London, CT |
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| Ocean Beach Park was established in the early 1900s. No one seems to know when these metal silhouette pole signs were built. They probably pre-date the New England Hurricane of 1938 which wiped out most of the coastline. The Park and boardwalk were rebuilt in the 1940s. The signs depict a fireman and policeman playing checkers, an archery scene, a nurse and child, and people playing horseshoes. There was once a horsehoe pit, a nurse's station, and an archery arcade game in the Park. New London is also known as "The Whaling City". For more, see this website. |
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More CT Signs:
Donut Depot (East Hampton) |
| Main Signs Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |