| Super Signage |
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| PENNSYLVANIA (page 3) |
| Heinz Pittsburgh, PA |
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| The Heinz neon sign features a pouring ketchup bottle which empties into the lettering below. The sign, built in 1995, is nearly 43' tall and uses 1,200 lights. The sign was taken down in 2007 and the company is looking for a new location for it. There are also two 35' tall neon Heinz bottles that pour ketchup in Heinz Field (football stadium). For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Equitable Gas clock Pittsburgh, PA |
Wholey Pittsburgh, PA |
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The Equitable Gas clock was originally part of the Duquesne Brewery. It was built in 1933 and was the largest single face clock in the world at the time. The Brewery first opened in 1899 and closed in the 1970s. The clock was stopped at 6:30 for at least ten years. At some point, Stroh's owned the building and painted their logo over the clock. In 2002, Equitable Gas restored the clock and added their name. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Wholey fish sign is about 50' long and 25' high. It was strung up along a nearby building sometime in the late 1980s. Wholey is a fish market with origins tracing back to 1912. For more, see their website. |
| Clark Bar Pittsburgh, PA |
Groundhog Punxsutawney, PA |
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The D.L. Clark Company made their candy bars in this North Side building from 1911 to 1986. The Clark Bar sign was built in 1948 and installed on the roof. At one time, there were signs below it for Clark's other candy bars (Zagnut and Crispy). In 1999, manufacturing was moved to Massachusetts and the building was taken over by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper who wanted to replace the sign with their own. The old Clark sign was restored and moved to the back of the building. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Groundhog sign is about 24' tall and represents Punxsutawney Phil. It was created from 1990-1991 and installed downtown. The sign was created from nine sheets of plywood by local volunteers. The sign was moved to a drive-in south of town when the lot it was on was developed as a McDonalds. During the move, the top hat was damaged and repaired. A replica of the sign appeared in the Bill Murray 1993 movie "Groundhog Day". The sign was (maybe still is) covered with a Santa hat during the Christmas holidays. Punxsutawney is the self-proclaimed "weather capital of the world". Since 1887, the town's groundhog has been forecasting the number of weeks until the arrival of Spring weather. |
| Big Dippers Ice Cream Hanover, PA |
Utz Potato Chips Hanover, PA |
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Big Dippers Ice Cream features a classic neon cone sign mounted on the roof as well as a very realistic flat wooden sign at the street.
Utz Potato Chips originated in Hanover in 1921 when the company was known as Hanover Home Brand Potato Chips. Utz built this factory in 1949 and the sign was installed after that. The sign was turned off during the gas crisis in 1974 and restored in the 1990s. In 1982, production was moved to a larger facility just a couple blocks away. However, the company still uses this building. The neon Utz sign is animated and spells out the name in separate rows and with different patterns of red, white and blue. For more, see their website. There is another neon Utz sign in Baltimore, MD. |
| Byorek's Knotty Pine Restaurant Hazleton, PA |
Blue Comet Diner Hazleton, PA |
Alva Hotel & Restaurant New Cumberland, PA |
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Byorek's Knotty Pine Restaurant opened in 1937 as a curbside operation. This sign was most likely part of a later expansion.
The Blue Comet Diner is from 1932. The sign probably done later. The diner itself is completely covered up with modern "embellishments". The Alva Hotel & Restaurant features this big porcelain enamel and neon sign. |
| Charcoal Drive-in [gone] Allentown, PA |
Klein's Motel Temple, PA |
Sunshine Beer Haus Temple, PA |
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The Charcoal Drive-in opened here in 1953. Although there was still a canopy, there hadn't been carhops since the early 1960s. Carl R. Bieber Tourways opened a bus terminal here in 1971 and shared the building with the Charcoal. Bieber later bought the property which included the restaurant. The Charcoal Drive-in closed in 2007.
Klein's Motel features an attractive plastic sign. The Sunshine Beer Haus sign reveals its former identity as Ciotti's Market. Sunshine took over the building in 1976. |
| Lans-Bowl Lansdale, PA |
Zip's Lanes Johnstown, PA |
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Lans-Bowl opened in the 1950s. They feature 32 lanes of ten-pin bowling. For more, see their website.
Zip's Lanes is one of the biggest duckpin bowling bowling centers in the country. Strangely, the sign depicts the more typical ten-pins. |
| Rite Spot Motel Fayetteville, PA |
Ruse's Roost Hopwood, PA |
Pennsylvania Dutch Motel Denver, PA |
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The Rite Spot Motel was built in 1960 and is a sprawling motel complex on the Lincoln Highway.
Ruse's Roost opened in 1952. The modified walk-up stand now has picnic tables, an indoor dining area and a drive-up takeout window. They also offer 61 flavors of milkshakes, homemade potato chips and Georgia Fried Chicken. For more, see this website. For more giant roosters, see this page. The Pennsylvania Dutch Motel looks like it opened in the 1940s or so. In 2006, it appeared to be closed or nearly so. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Do-All Industrial Supply East McKeesport, PA | ||
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| This Do-All Industrial Supply building and signs are from 1965. They have 70 stores in the U.S. and Canada. For more, see their website. |
| Frosty Freeze Hellam, PA |
M&Z Carpets Harrisburg, PA |
M&Z Carpets Mechanicsburg, PA |
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The Frosty Freeze sign advertises for a nice old drive-in.
The M&Z Carpets in Harrisburg has a huge, revolving sign. This carpet store and sign are definitely out of place among all the modern big-box stores. The M&Z Carpets in Mechanicsburg has another neon flying carpet sign. The company was founded in 1946. |
| Milford Motel Milford, PA |
Electric City Scranton, PA |
Squirt Barnesboro, PA |
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The Milford Motel features a nice old neon sign. For more, see this website.
The Electric City sign is mounted on top the Scranton Electric Building on Courthouse Square. The sign's origins date back to 1910 and it was restored in 2004. The restoration took two years and cost about $180,000. The sign, which features flashing bulbs, had been dark since 1972. Scranton's nickname is derived from its claim to have had the first electric streetcars in the U.S. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. This Squirt sign hangs above Bonatesta's Tavern. Squirt Soda was developed in 1938. For more, see this website. |
| John's Hardware Reynoldsville, PA |
Fraternal Order of Eagles Reynoldsville, PA |
Consolidated Freightways York, PA |
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The John's Hardware and the Fraternal Order of Eagles signs are in great shape and within a block of each other. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
The Consolidated Freightways sign is another huge sign - this one right on I-83. It features animated neon which makes the truck's wheels appear to move. I assume the sign is no longer lit. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Lincoln-Way Lanes York, PA |
Shenango Bowl-A-Way New Castle, PA |
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The Lincoln-Way Lanes is located on the Lincoln Highway. The sign appears to be from the 1950s. For more, see this website.
The Shenango Bowl-A-Way features a pole sign and a rooftop sign. New Castle is located at the junction of the Shenango and Neshannock Rivers (hence the name). For more, see this website. |
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