First Farmers & Merchants Bank - Columbia, TN

High St. Branch

Simpsons Florist - Decatur, AL

Located along US31

Litton's Restaurant neon sign - Knoxville

Litton's is located in the Fountain City area of Knoxville on the north side of town. The sign points out "Quality since 1946."

Blue Circle neon sign - Livingston, TN

Blue Circle Hamburgers was a chain of fast food restaurants that was popular in East Tennessee a few decades ago. However, today only one location remains open. In my travels through East Tennessee, I have seen signs of some of the former locations repurposed for a new business. This is the only one I had seen in Middle Tennessee. I didn't realise they made it this far west. (Or maybe someone just liked the sign and brought it here.)

Lorraine Motel Neon Sign

Walter Bailey purchased the Windsor Hotel in 1945 and renamed it the Lorraine Motel. Located close the the center of Memphis, during the days of segregation the motel catered to an upscale black clientele.

In April 1968, King traveled to Memphis in support of striking sanitation workers. King stayed in room 306, located on the second floor of the Lorraine Motel. At 6:01 PM on April 4, 1968 while he was standing on the balcony outside his room, King was struck by a single bullet, causing him to fall backwards unconscious.

Following the assassination, Bailey left Room 306 undisturbed. While the Motel remained open for a few more years, Bailey worked to preserve the motel as a historic site raising funds to Save the Lorraine. The Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation bought the motel in 1982. The Motel officially closed in 1998 as the property transformed into a museum.

For architectural designs, the museum called upon McKissack & McKissack from Nashville, the first African American architecture firm in America. After purchasing adjoining property, the museum opened in Sept. 1991.

Today, on the grounds of the museum, a wreath is placed at the balcony where King was hit. The original sign for the museum has been preserved outside. This sign on the side is not as well known. For now, customers of the museum are allowed to look into the window of Room 306.

Busy Bee Drive-In - Clarksville, TN

Sadly, this mom and pop restaurant in Clarksville looks to be out of business.

Terminal Garage Inc. neon sign - Knoxville, TN

24 Hour Service / AAA
Terminal Garage Inc. / Auto Parts Co.
Everything in Automotive

Texas Troubadour Theater - Nashville

For several decades the popular Grand Ole Opry was broadcast from Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville on Saturday Evenings. Soon afterwards, WSM started a follow up show a block away at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. The Midnite Jamboree would feature up-and-coming country artists, and really start at Midnite.

Then, the Grand ole Opry moved out to Opryland, and the tourist area that sprang up around it became Music Valley. Ernest Tubb Record Shop followed the Opry out here with shop #2 and their adjoining theater at Music Valley Village. (Tubb was nicknamed the Texas Troubadour.) For good measure, this country music venue doubles as the Nashville Cowboy Church on Sunday mornings.

Ozburn-Hessey Carpet Center neon sign

"Finest Flooring since 1953"
"We've got Nashville covered"
Seen along Murfreesboro Rd (US41/70S)

Post Card Tuesday: Drake Motel

Quite possibly the neatest Motel sign in Nashville.

It's not in the best neighborhood anymore, on Murfreesboro Rd. Before the days of Interstates, this was in a heavily travelled area by tourists, U.S. 41 and U.S. 70S.

It's doubtful that the stars stay here anymore, at least not since River Phoenix and Sandra Bullock in the 1993 unsuccessful movie "The Thing Called Love." Back in the day, it was the place for country music stars to stay (at least that's what my Mom told me the first time she drove me past it many decades ago.).

Here's my view from 2008:

Oliver & Oliver Law Offices neon sign - Berea, KY

Seen along US25 in Berea

Governors Drive Cleaners neon sign - Huntsville, AL

Laundry - 1 Day service

A.G. Heins Co. Neon Sign - Knoxville

The A. G. Heins Co. is a Hardware Store in Knoxville. The carried products from the Phillip Carey Manufacturing Co., hence the Carey on the sign. You can read a brief history of their company here:
www.agheins.com/

Post Card Tuesday: Vacation Motor Hotel - Clarksville

This neon motel sign looks suspiciously like an old school Holiday Inn sign. I don't know if it once was a Holiday Inn which became independent, or they just wanted a copycat sign. The motel is still open for business along highway US41A/79 in the Providence area of Clarksville.

Last Chance Liquors neon sign

East Nashville / Dickerson Pike.

I'm guessing the "Last Chance" refers back to the days that Nashville was a dry city.

Highway U.S. 431/41/31W part of town also known as Avondale

Holt Bros. Floor Covering neon sign

Located along Gallatin Pk. (old US31E) in East Nashville is this old Carpet company. According to their sign, Dial CARPETS, or 227-7387 to reach them.

Shannon Electric Co. Neon Sign

in a rather gritty area of Nashville. Also in the background is the Downtown Antique Mall. A long time ago, it was the warehouse for G.P.Rose & Co. This photo is 13 years old, so it might be gone now.

231 Plaza Inn - Lebanon, TN

This motel is located on highway US231 a few blocks north of the town square in Lebanon.

Woodbury Funeral Home neon sign - day and night

Most of my neon sign photos belong to Motels, cinemas, Restaurants, gift shops, drug stores and tourist traps. To me, it seems like a neon sign is out of place at a funeral home. However, I like neon signs and I can get over that kind of hang-up to photograph it in the day and the night time. (Seen along Main St. in Woodbury.)

In the news: Historic Nashville's 2020 List of Nashville Nine

Every year, Historic Nashville Inc. creates their yearly list of historic endangered properties, which the call the Nashville Nine. The 2020 list has been published, which you can read at the link below:

2020 Nashville Nine

The Eldorado Motel neon sign above is facing problems due to years of neglect. The Tennessee State Prison and the Hopewell Baptist Church seen below were damaged by the Mar. 3, 2020 tornado.