Old Grayson County Courthouse - Oldtown, VA

According to Wikipedia:
The Old Grayson County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse located near Galax in Grayson County, VA. The Old Grayson County Courthouse was built in 1834, and consists of a two-story central block with flanking two-story wings and a one-story addition on the rear north side which was built in the 1870s and expanded in 1988. In 1850 the county seat moved to its present location in Independence, and the courthouse was subsequently used as a private residence, as a hotel, an apartment house, and a hay barn. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

This "Old Town" is a rather rural place except for a block with a few houses on it. It's just a couple of miles outside of Galax and located on Greenville Rd.

For a thorough description of this building, here is the listing on the NRHP:
www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Grayson/038-0004_...
The Old Grayson County Courthouse is an unusual antebellum courthouse design because it resembles a residence more than a public building. Constructed by master builder, James Toncray, the premier builder of courthouses of this period in Southwest Virginia.

Burger Bar - Bristol, VA

According to legend, this could have been the last place Hank Williams stopped to eat before he died - as in his driver apparently asked if he wanted a bite to eat while passing by here and Williams said no.

With this in mind, my wife and I decided to eat at the popular local greasy spoon while on our vacation. When we walked in, we found they had three tables and about 6 barstools, all taken the teeny tiny burger joint was packed so we went elsewhere.

Pendelton Jewelry Co. neon sign - Bristol, VA

"Bristol's Oldest Jewelers"
Since 1886
Along State St. along the VA side.

Late 40's Chrysler Police Car

There is a storage facility north of Bristol, VA along the old Lee Highway (US11) that features a series of vintage motel signs as well as this vintage police car. Also, here is the Robert E Lee Motel Sign which used to be just south of here.

Vintage Wall Ads for Pepsi-Cola and Uneeda Biscuit - Roanoke, VA

On the Left:

Virginia Carriage Factory inc.
Manufacturers of
Carriages, Buggies, Etc.

and then...

Fountains also in Bottles
Drink Pepsi-Cola 5 Cents
Delicious - Delightful



On the right:

The King of Wheat Foods
Uneeda Biscuit
Sold only in packages
5 cents
National Biscuit Company

Then, the signpainters...
The O. J.Gude Co. Va.Inc
Dixie Sign & Painting Co.



This is on the side of a building in downtown Roanoke, Va.

Helms Candy Co. neon sign - Bristol, VA

This building must have been their factory. It was located on the north side of Bristol, VA along the Lee Highway (US11/19). Helms was formed in 1976 when Jobbers and Loudy candy companies merged.

Boone Trail Highway Marker - Wytheville, VA

This dates back to the days of Auto Trails where the highways had names and not the numbering system we have today. Unlike most other auto trails, the Boone Trail wasn't a creation of a new route, but these markers were placed along existing routes.

The Boone Trail was the brainchild of J. Hampton Rich of North Carolina who was looking for a way to keep the memory of Boone alive. He contacted communities to raise funds to place an arrowhead shaped marker in their town. From 1913 to 1938 he was able to place 358 of these from coast to coast. He started a group called the Boone Trail Highway Association and for about a decade had a publication discussing the installation of new markers called the Boone Trail Herald.

Today, most of the 358 are gone. As highways are decommissioned or widened, the marker is often removed, often without thought about what is being taken away.How many of the markers are still out there? There is a group out there called the Boone Trail Highway & Memorial Re-Association dedicated to finding out, and they've located about 60.

The marker in Wytheville was originally placed in 1928 and rebuilt in 2005 according to the modern marker next to it. This marker was located along The Lee Highway, which became US11 in Wytheville.

St. Andrews & Hotel Roanoke as seen from Mill Mountain

In Roanoke, the best view of the city is provided at Mill Mountain, where you can also walk around the base of the Roanoke Star. From the observation deck, I brought out my best telephoto lens to zoom in on downtown. St. Andrews Catholic Church is the gothic church building at the top. The historic Hotel Roanoke is the widest building in the middle. Across the bottom, you can see glimpses of the old N&W passenger station, the Taubman Museum of Art and the old Market Square building.

Happy Veterans Day 2013

In honor of Veterans Day, I'd like to show off several Veterans Day memorials I've found in and around the area.


Veteran's Memorial - Bristol, VA

The Veteran's War Memorial is located at Cumberland Square Park. The memorial contains five 6'2" bronze statues representing the men and women of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The statues are arranged on a platform in the shape of a V for Victory. The helicopter in the background is an AH-1H COBRA



Westmoreland, TN Veterans Memorial



DeKalb Co., TN Veterans Memorial - Smithville, TN



Cocke County, TN Veterans Memorial - Newport, TN



Scott County Veterans Memorial - Huntsville, TN



Marshall Co. Desert Storm Memorial - Lewisburg, TN

H&C Coffee neon sign - Roanoke, VA

This fantastic neon sign is in Downtown Roanoke, VA. A special plaque has been placed, not at the base of the building, but from a spot where the sign is easily viewable: The restoration and relighting of the H&C Coffee sign was a community effort funded through the generosity of the citizens of the Roanoke Valley and beyond. A Special tribute goes to Mark Jamison - "The Neon Man."

H&C Coffee company started in Roanoke in 1927, with the sign and local landmark erected in 1946. After non-functioning for a decade, the restoration was done in 2005 when the sign was also moved to a better location with the higher roof of the new art museum.



The sign is animated with neon and the scene cycles every 7 seconds. Briefly, everything is off. Then H&C COFFEE lights up (With the H& not working too well right now). Then, The Coffee pot lights up. Next, the the empty coffee cup, saucer and spoon come on. Finally, a stream of coffee alternates between upper and lower as if it looks like it is being poured and cup is full of neon coffee! It's a wonderful sign which definitely fits in the category of they don't make 'em like they used to.

Here's a video of the sign:
www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/6510068951/in/photo...

Cambria, VA Passenger Depot

Cambria is a city in Montgomery County, VA that has now been swallowed up by Christiansburg, but with its old city center intact.

This depot is significant for two reasons. 1) It's one of the oldest in the state and is one of two surviving depots in southwest Virginia that dates back to the Reconstruction period. 2) Architecturally, it was designed in a high style Victorian Tuscan Italianate style, with an imposing central tower, overhanging eaves and a deep bracketed frieze. After the original Virginia & Tennessee Railroad depot was burned in the Civil War, this depot was reopened in 1870. Passenger service stopped in 1960.

Like many trian stations, it fell into disrepair for a couple of decades until 1983 when locals bought the historic building to restore it. In 1985, the depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Historic Register. In 2007, one area opened as the Cambria Toy Station and in 2009 a museum opened on the other side.

Blue Jay Motel neon sign - Salem, VA

Occasionally, I'll post an image for a place that's a day's drive away from Nashville and I thought I'd do that today.
What a wonderful neon sign for a motel that is still in business. The Blue Jay Motel is along US11 about 5 miles west of Salem, VA. It's probably still in business along the old highway because it is right next to an interstate exit. Unfortunately, the owners either didn't like this look or thought it was too hard to maintain as is and a few months after I saw this they removed all of the neon tubing and gave it a fresh coat of paint.

Mill Mountain Star - Roanoke, VA

The Roanoke Star is the World's Largest freestanding illuminated man-made star, which I am sure will give everybody goosebumps just thinking about it. It was constructed in 1949 and placed atop Mill Mountain, facing towards the city, causing Roanoke to get the nickname "Star City of the South"

It was placed at its location permanently in 1949 to kick off the Christmas shopping season. Once it proved to be popular, it was decided to be lit year round. At first, it was all white. Next, red was added, but only illuminated for one day to indicate a traffic fatality.

As part of America's Bicentennial Celebration in 1976, the current design was created, consisting of one red outer star, two white middle stars and two inner blue stars. Sometimes, the look would go to just a red star, like a flag being displayed at half-staff, or blinking-alternating colors. To commemorate September 11, 2001, the star has since remained at this same classic red, white and blue combination (with the exception of a temporary change in memory of the Virginia Tech shooting and also for routine maintenance. Starting Sunday, September 11, 2011 to mark the 10-year anniversary of September 11, 2001, the star went back to being all white again, except for special occasions.

Coca-Cola Mural - Pulaski, VA

5 cents - Delicious and Refreshing - 5 cents
Drink Coca-Cola - Sold Everywhere

Located in the small downtown area of Pulaski, VA along a wide building and facing Peak Creek. At some point over the last few decades it has been repainted, and even that has a slight fade to it.

One of the things I like about this creek as it runs through town is the old built up rock wall, and at this spot, it's practically an extension of the side of the building.

Bristol, VA NASCAR Mural

Bristol of course has it's own Nascar Race, but the mural mentions the Daytona 500. The mural features Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. The mural was painted in 2001, the year Earnhardt died. In the background, you may also notice a faded ad for Bristol Grocery Co., which is what this building used to be many years ago.

Roanoke's Vintage Dr. Pepper sign

This sign was placed in downtown Roanoke by the Dr. Pepper people in the 1940's. Since then, more Dr. Pepper has been sold in Roanoke than any other city east of the Mississippi River. To go along with the drink's popularity, the old fashion sign with it's illuminated bottle cap design surrounded by chaser lights has become a popular landmark lighting up the Roanoke sky.

As old signs tend to do, the Dr. Pepper sign started to get worn down. In addition, a new multimillion dollar art museum was being built next door in 2005, unfortunately obstucting the view of what some would call a work of art in its own right.



The sign needed to be moved and refurbished. During three months in 2005, for every case of Dr. Pepper sold in Roanoke, 8 cents went into a fund to accomplish the new goal. When $30,000 was raised work was begun. Virginia Sign Works, who was also tasked with restoring the other historic downtown Roakoke sign for H&C Coffee, refurbished the sign. A crane was brought in to move the sign to a prominent and highly visible corner, atop the Legg Mason Building.

On New Years Eve in 2005, six hours before the new year would ring in, a ceremony was held for the relighting ceremony. The Mayor along with a 104 year old lifelong Dr. Pepper drinker flipped the switch for the sign which now again illuminates the skyline every night.

Wytheville, VA Office Supply & The Big Pencil

From their website:
wythevilleofficesupply.com/

For almost 50 years, visitors have made it a "point" to see Wytheville's Main Street landmark. The late John Campbell Findlay (the original owner of Wytheville Office Supply) had the "Big Pencil" constructed in the early 60's. Made of metal, it is approximately 30 feet long. Over the years it has had a number of facelifts to keep it in pristine condition. Recently, in the Washington Post the syndicated comic strip "Zippy" by Bill Griffith, featured the "Big Pencil".

Wytheville, VA is the county seat of Wythe County and US 11 is the main road through town. This store is right in the middle of town.

Rainbow Autel (motel) Restored Sign

By the looks of it, this classic motel sign looks like it is about to be picked up and mounted at this same storage facility. The Rainbow Autel was about 25 miles up the road in Chilhowie, VA along the Lee Highway. I'd never heard the term Autel before - It sounds like a foreign word. In reality Autel = Auto Hotel the same way Motel = Motor Hotel, but the term didn't have staying power.

Here's a story on the refurbishing of the sign, and the storage facility along US11 with a bunch of neat old things:
www.edandmarthabiggar.com/neonclass.html

Today's destinations is a little ways outside of Middle Tennessee, but I thought some people might find it interesting...


The Coffee Pot is a roadhouse restaurant built in what used to be the outskirts of Roanoke, VA in 1936.

The entire building has a log cabin motif, with a large stucco Coffee Pot on the end.  It serves as a great example of Novelty Architecture and for that reason has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.  The Coffee Pot is 15 ft. tall and when it was built, they had steam rise out of the spout, generated by a furnace below.

It was built along Brambleton Ave., which is now US 221.  Various musical acts have performed inside over the years, giving it the slogan the "Biggest small stage in the south"

Bristol VA / TENN sign (Daytime view)

One of only 33 signs to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this landmark was built in 1910 to divide Tennessee and Virginia. In 1915, it was moved to its current location along State Street. In 1921, "A Good Place to Live" was added to the sign.

The sign lights up at night. I suppose that's a sun or a starburst under the S in Bristol, plus the red arrows pointing to VA and TENN are chaser lights.