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| VIRGINIA (page 2) |
| Baby Jim's Snack Bar Culpeper, VA |
Counts Drug Wytheville, VA |
Cape Motel Cape Charles, VA |
Let's Eat Diner Fredericksburg, VA |
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Baby Jim's Snack Bar is a simple take-out burger joint. They started at another location in 1947 and opened this one in 1952.
Counts Drug and sign are from the 1950s. The Cape Motel and sign are from the 1950s. The Let's Eat Diner (aka 2400 Diner) opened in the 1950s. Although not a true diner, the restaurant has stools and diner atmosphere. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| Boulevard Cleaners Newport News, VA |
Bradish Signs Newport News, VA |
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Boulevard Cleaners has a nicely maintained neon sign.
Bradish Signs features a giant paint brush with dripping paint and a palette-like nameplate. |
| Chinatown Restaurant Newport News, VA |
Monty's Penguin Newport News, VA |
Jack's Family Restaurant Hampton, VA |
Captain George's Seafood Restaurant Hampton, VA |
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The Chinatown Restaurant has a faded sign but is still operating.
The Monty's Penguin sign is from around 1963. Jack's Family Restaurant has a boxy building but a nice-looking sign. This Captain George's Seafood Restaurant location closed in 2008. I don't think any of their other four restaurants have an old sign like this one. For more, see their website. |
| Lucky 7 Market Charlottesville, VA |
Dixie Pig Barbecue Martinsville, VA |
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The Lucky 7 Market and sign are from the 1960s.
The Dixie Pig Barbecue features this old sign which is still lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [first photo thanks Robby Delius] |
| Red Carpet Inn Harrisonburg, VA |
Alpine Motel Abingdon, VA |
Hi-Lo Drive-Thru Abingdon, VA |
Dixie Pottery Abingdon, VA |
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The Red Carpet Inn appears to be in transition to or is also known as the Belle Meade Motel (another smaller sign out front). They have two of these signs, same size: one in front and one in the rear visible from I-81. I'm not sure how many locations in this nationwide chain still have these huge neon signs. For more, see this website.
The Alpine Motel and sign were built in 1963. It is a single story motel with 19 rooms. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. The Hi-Lo Drive-Thru and sign are from 1956. Despite the faded sign, the place is still very much open. The Dixie Pottery store and sign are from 1957. The have a huge retail space selling furniture, home accessories, and candles in addition to pottery from around the world. For more, see their website. |
| Mitchem's Shoe Repair Richmond, VA |
Joy Garden Richmond, VA |
The Triple Richmond, VA |
King's Fish Richmond, VA |
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The Mitchem's Shoe Repair sign is similar to the Goodyear shoe sign in Birmingham, AL.
Joy Garden opened in 1958 with this neon sign. It is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Richmond. For more, see this website. The Triple sign has been here since at least the 1970s. For more, see this website. I don't believe the King's Fish sign is all that old either but it's still nice-looking. For more, see this website. |
| Westland Shopping Center Richmond, VA |
Natural Gas Company of Virginia Richmond, VA |
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I believe the Westland Shopping Center sign was recently restored.
The Natural Gas Company of Virginia features some nice old signage. |
| Bill's Barbecue Richmond, VA |
Satellite Restaurant Richmond, VA |
Mease Rexall Richmond, VA |
FFV Cookies & Crackers Richmond, VA |
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Bill's Barbecue opened in 1930 and is famous for its barbecue pork sandwiches, limeade and other regional offerings. There are several locations in Richmond. This one has a drive-through window and drive-in canopies, however, I'm not sure if there are car hops or not. For more, see this website.
In 2004, a vinyl sign was installed in the windows of the Satellite Restaurant indicating that it had become the Crab House Lounge & Restaurant. As of 2009, the old sign and the temporary sign were still there. The Satellite opened in 1962. [scan thanks Robby Delius] The Mease Rexall is long gone but the sign has been allowed to stay above the Corner Coin Laundry. FFV Cookies & Crackers were once baked here by Interbake Foods with the Famous Foods of Virginia label. Interbake was originally founded in 1899 as the Southern Biscuit Company and this building is from then. The company closed this factory in 2006 and it has been vacant since then. I don't believe the sign is lit anymore. However, there is talk of converting the building into offices and/or condos so perhaps it will be relit then. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Regal Richmond, VA |
Mill End Shop Richmond, VA |
A&N Richmond, VA |
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These three signs are on display at the Valentine Richmond History Center. For more, see this website.
I don't know anything about this giant Regal Boot sign other than that there must have been others. The American Sign Museum has just acquired an identical sign. The Mill End Shop sign was built in the late 1950s. The business closed in 1996 and donated this sign to the museum. The sign was restored in 2008. Unfortunately, it was covered with scaffolding when I visited in 2009. For more, see this website. This A&N sign is from 1930 and 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. |
| C.F. Sauer Company Extracts Richmond, VA |
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| The C.F. Sauer Company began production in Richmond in 1887. By 1927, the company had become the largest producer of extracts and spices in the U.S. Sauer still continues production at its downtown factory. This rooftop sign is still in operation and features a baker stirring in extract with "vanilla" spelling out in red continuous script. The animated, incandescent sign was saved in 1978 when the building it was installed on top of was demolished. The sign was restored around 2006. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| 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 (two photos at right). For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Arnold Pen Co. Petersburg, VA |
Prince George Motel Petersburg, VA |
Dixie Motel Emporia, VA |
New York Restaurant Emporia, VA |
Majestic Café Alexandria, VA |
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The Arnold Pen Co., a manufacturer of pens, was founded in 1935. I believe the company is still in business although they seem to use the name "Parrot Pen" now. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Prince George Motel and Dixie Motel feature signs that appear to be from the 1940s or 1950s. Both of these motels are now closed. The New York Restaurant is also now vacant. [photo thanks Robby Delius] The Majestic Café opened as the Majestic Restaurant in 1932 (other sources say early 1940s or 1949). It closed in 1978 and remained vacant until 2001 when it was restored, remodeled and reopened as this classy place downtown. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
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