65 Miles to Rock City Rock City barn on US Highway 127 just north of Pikeville, TN (Also along the Worlds longest garage sale) If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Hello to anyone who found this photo used here: howtosplitanatom.com/questions/how-do-you-beat-advertisin... or here: blog.20sb.net/2009/12/advertising-on-your-personal-blog-p... Advertising On Your Personal Blog, Part One
It's Fun for the Family in Rock City This is known as "Leon Thomas's Rock City Barn." It is located on U.S. Highway 41 in Hillsboro, TN which is about 8 miles north of Monteagle. This is in Coffee County. You might notice the 3 wooden slats on the right are a slightly different color. about 12 years ago, a tornado came through this are and ripped that portion of the barn off. The wood was replaced, and then repainted. Decades ago, this barn did not have the front extension. Underneath the "Rock City" was the edge of the barn. At one time, This vertical section had an ad for "Wonder Cave" which is in the area. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See 7 States from Rock City This well maintained Rock City barn is in the northern part of Grundy County on highway US41 near Pelham, TN If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See 7 States from Rock City Near Chattanooga Tenn This is Lewis Bruton's Rock City Barn on Highway US 64, the old highway that connects Memphis to Chattanooga. It is in Lawrence County, Tennessee about 5 miles East of the Natchez Trace Parkway, or 9 miles west of Lawrenceburg. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Thanks to everybody. This photo has made Flickr Explore, peaking at #292. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: semanal.org/2008/02/11/week-7-2008-semanal-alive-and-kick... or here: michellanea.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-still-havent-seen-rock... or here: lisanneharris.com/2013/06/30/sadly-utterly-abandoned-barns/ Sadly, Utterly Abandoned Barns
35 Miles to Rock City This "Barn" is in a car junkyard on Highway US 11 in Dekalb County, Alabama. US11 is the old highway that runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga. This barn is located on a map here. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: piggybankpie.com/make-money-online/advertising-your-ebook/
See Rock City Today! These two barns are along the highway that runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga in DeKalb County, Alabama. The See Rock City barn faces highway US 11. The other barn is a painted advertisement for Rock City and is visible along Interstate 59. You can see its location on a map Here. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Or for the post, specifically about this barn, see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2009/01/emember-when-every-bar...
See Rock City Today This "Rock City Barn" is located on Interstate 24 just before crossing the Tennessee River in Marion County, TN. Perhaps there is nobody on Flickr who goes out of his or her way to look for the Rock City Barns as much as I do. That makes the fact that I had driven right by this one a dozen times without noticing it somewhat surprizing. there is a place where the eastbound and westbound lanes split apart. Some lucky person owns the land between the lanes and uses it to advertise a tractor dealership, so there are perfectly parked rows of tractors. Everytime I drove through there, I would notice the tractors and miss the Rock City ad on the building up the hill to the right. If you drive the other direction, you see a fireworks store between the lanes. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Hello to anyone who found this here: mainstreetgeek.com/advertising-places/ Is Your Advertising Located In The Right Places?
See Beautiful Rock City To-day Not far from Sevierville, TN, this See Rock City Barn is located along the Chapman Highway (U.S. 441 and U.S. 411) at the intersection with Garner Hollow LN. Those going westbound will see this. Of note to Rock City Barn enthusiests, the way the "Today" is painted is different than it used to be. It is all block lettes now, but used to be in cursive script. The cursive part has been painted over in black but barely can be seen below the TY in CITY. Click the photo below to see a closeup. Right behind me is a small hill that many people choose to climb when photographing this barn. If this barn and others like it interest you, feel free to check out my See Rock City blog HERE or the specific post regarding this barn HERE. Hello to anyone who found this photo on hobotopia here: apelad.blogspot.com/2007/04/to-day.html
See 7 States from Rock City SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY atop LOOKOUT MTN. Chattanooga Tenn. 231.5 Mi. Via Gravel Switch,KY. Here is an example of one of the newer Rock City barns. The Rock City people do maintain and repaint some of the older barns, but there are a couple of clues that this is a newer barn. 1) The "font" or shape of the letters is different from the older Clark Byers barns. 2) the location: Instead of being on a major highway which will take you in the direction of Chattanooga, it is located near the entrance of Maker's Mark Distillery near Loretto, KY in Marion co. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See Rock City barn, Rutherford County, TN This Rock City barn is just south of Eagleville on Highway 41A in Rutherford County, TN If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See 7 States from Rock City Located along U.S. 129 in Blount Co., Tn. Visible to those going northbound. There's a similar barn with the same message a couple of miles from here visible to those going southbound. If this kind of thing interests you, check out my blog: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
Rock City Barn, Bedford Co., TN This unfortunately crumbling barn is on Highway 41A about 5 miles south of Eagleville, TN in Bedford County, Tennessee If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Update: I drove bast this barn again on 1/31/2012 and it is now gone as only a few miscellaneous boards remain. It's a shame I never saw it in its full glory, but at least I got this glimpse of it.
Proof that New Rock City barns get painted. I'll admit that I am not fully happy with this photo, as it was completely cloudy that morning. I did something that I usually don't do much, and that is to tinker with the photo. Most of my basic image editing can be done in Picasa or MS Paint (don't laugh!), but on this one, I tried my best with Gimp and Photomatix (This is an HDR.) I really wanted the red of the horse trailer and the green of the grass to stand out. As an alternate, I also tried the same photo with giving it an "old timey" feel, and I'm torn between which version I like better. If Rock City or Painted advertising barns in general interest you, I reccomend you check out my blog HERE. Or, you can read the post about this specific barn HERE.
Millions Have Seen Rock City Have You? Millions have people have seen this painted barn, perhaps more than any other Rock City Barn, since it's on a popular interstate, I-40 between Nashville and Knoxville. It's in Roane County just east of Kingsport Kingston with Buttermilk road as the side street. The other side has a very faded painted ad for Lookout Mountain's sister-attraction Ruby Falls, but it is difficult to see. (that photo will be uploaded in the near future.) For more barns like this one: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ Or, see the specific post: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/05/millions-have-seen-thi...
See 7 States From Rock City SEE 7 STATES FROM ROCK CITY atop LOOKOUT MT. This barn is along U.S. Highway 11, which connects Birmingham and Chattanooga. This barn is located in DeKalb County about halfway between Collinsville and the Etowah County line. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Or, read the specific post for this barn HERE. UPDATE: I field checked this barn on 8/16/2013. It is still there, but now there's massive overgrowth in front of the barn, which makes it tough to see. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.roadtrip62.com/national-road-trip-day-and-history-on-...
See Beautiful Rock City atop lookout mt. Located along highway U.S. 31E in Robertson County, TN about a stones throw from the Kentucky border. see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/01/barn-corn-and-state-bo... Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-farms/ These 15 Charming Farms In Tennessee Will Make You Love The Country
Rock City Barn, Rutherford Co., TN "See Beautiful Rock City atop Lookout Mt. Chattanooga Tenn" This Rock City Barn is on Highway 41A about 1 mile south of Eagleville, TN in Rutherford County, Tennessee If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. I have driven through here a few times since this picture was taken and I believe this barn has since been torn down.
See 7 States From ROCK CITY SEE 7 STATES FrOM ROCK CITY atop LOOKOUT MT. Oddly, the r in FrOM is not capitalized. Located on Highway U.S. 31E in Hart Co. Ky. This barn was immortalized 20 years ago as #2 in a series of collectible plates by Ray Day in his "Once upon a Barn" series. It looks like there were some creative liberties taken with the trees see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-barn-changes-in-20...
Nashville-Davidson Co. Rock City Barn This Rock City barn, barely within the county limits is along the Clarksville Highway (41A). If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. It is my understanding that the owners have since repainted the barn and now you can't tell it was ever a Rock City barn.
The Rock City Barn you can see from Rock City When The Rock City Painters stopped looking for new barns to paint, they changed their primary advertising to birdhouses. They Painted this barn to look like a "Rock City" birdhouse. This specific barn had been further south in Georgia, but when a church was going to tear it down to expand, the Rock City folks moved this to near the base of Rock City. This is easy to see from the Lover's Leap at Rock City, or if you are driving along the Chattanooga Valley Highway. This is the same field where they have the Enchanted Maize in the Fall. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
Stay on TN58 and SEE... This is a Rock City Barn, but the area that was painted to say ROCK CITY has been removed. I suppose that would look strange if you didn't know what the barn was referring to. This is the perfect place to paint an ad on the side of a barn, since the street bends around the barn. TN58 does continue on to Chattanooga, and then up the side of lookout mountain to go to Rock City. I think there is a Christmas light on top of the 5. I like how the TN58 road sign has been painted onto this barn. If Rock City barns interest you, I invite you to check my blog, HERE. If you'd like to read all of my thought about this barn, and the magnet linked below, you can read my specific blog post on this barn HERE.
"Home-made" See Rock City Barn I have always wondered if anybody has painted their own barn to look like a Rock City barn, just so they could say they owned one. This might be my answer and there are several clues to make me think that. First, it looks like no other Rock City barn I have seen. It's true that most of them say "See Rock City" but the shape and style of the lettering look like no other. Instead, it looks just like one of the Rock City birdhouses. Second, it's not that easy to see. The official Rock City barns are near the street where oncoming traffic can easily see it. This was up on a hill about 400 feet from the highway, partially obscured by trees. It is located off highway TN76 between Springfield and White House. Finally, the rest of the property looked like the kind of place one would decorate with antiques. They had Burma Shave and old gas station signs around their driveway. In fact, I thought they had operated an Antique store. Thus, I was embarrassed when I drove up to their house and they looked at me like I was nuts. (to my credit, one building on the property in fact did say "Antique Store" but you couldn't see it from the street.) P.S. I didn't want to trespass any longer, so I didn't photograph the Burma Shave signs. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
World's 8th Wonder See Beautiful ROCK CITY. The rest of the wood has been replaced, but you can see the top of the W on the left and some of Wonder on the right. This is on Highway US64, the classic highway that runs from Memphis to Chattanooga. This barn is in Giles County, within a mile from the Lawrence County border If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See 7 States From Rock City SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY World's 8th Wonder Located on Highway U.S. 31E in Hart Co. Ky just north of the Barren Co. line. If barns like this one interests you, check out my blog of Rock City BarnsHERE.
When You See Rock City You See the Best The rust has made this old barn difficult to read, but it says: When You See ROCK CITY You See The Best The "ou" in You is also underlined. This barn is located on U.S. Highway 11 in Dekalb County, Alabama. US 11 runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga. This barn was painted decades ago. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
Atop Lookout Mt. Some Rock City barns are easier to spot than others. This one was likely painted decades ago. Since then, the roof has rusted so bad, that you almost can't see the faded letters at all. (Even still, you need to view it at original size just to see it.) In smaller letters, at the top in the center is SEE. Then in larger letters going all the way across is ROCK CITY. The R is covered by the tree, and part of the T and all the Y of the metal roof is missing. easier to read is: atop LOOKOUT MT. Chattanooga, Tenn. This barn is on US Highway 41, south of Murfreesboro and barely in Rutherford Co. on the East side of the street. Before interstates, if you were willing to drive up and down Monteagle, US 41 is the old highway that goes between Chattanooga and runs a mile from my house. (It actually connects Milwaukee to Miami.) This area is now much less travelled with the construction of I-24 in the 1960's. This barn was likely painted over 40 years ago. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See 7 States from ROCK CITY See 7 States from ROCK CITY near chattanooga, tenn This looks to be an old convenience store that that was painted as part of the Rock City barn-painting advertising program. This is in Pulaski Co., KY just north of the town of Science Hill on Highway KY 1247. (the nearest cross-street is Etna road if you try to find it on a map). KY1247 is also the old U.S. 27. Back in the day, anyone travelling south from Lexington or Cincinnati going to Chattanooga or deeper south would pass by this store, which obviously hasn't been open in years. This store is becoming "reclaimed by nature." You can see that the walls of the building are red brick and on the side facing the camera, is an old spray-painted message of "Ice Cream" and "Cold Drinks." Below those words, where the building looks gray, is a place where the bricks have fallen off and you can see some of the wood frame. The front of the store facing the street is on the left. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
TAKE U.S. 41 to ROCK CITY It may be tough to read now that is red on black, but the words say Take U.S. 41 to Rock City. I guess this technically is not a barn but this was painted by the Rock City Barn Painter. This is an Antique Store on U.S. Highway 231 in Wilson County in the stretch from Lebanon, TN to Murfreesboro. The sign reccomends in Murf that you turn on US41 to get rock city. I think the Red used to be white but rusted and probably was easier to read decades ago when first painted. I am not sure the antique store was open, but there was lots of junk in the yard. This is a 3X HDR photo from photomatix. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
Used to be a Rock City Barn At one time this barn clearly said "See 7 States from ROCK CITY" but as you can see much of the wood has been replaced. That, and the newer shed on the left have made this less obvious from the road. This barn is one of what used to be many on US Highway 64, the classic highway that runs from Memphis to Chattanooga. This is located in Wayne County, just east of the Hardin County border and a few miles west of Waynesboro. I find it odd how the part of the barn with the letters RO are much more distinct than the rest of the original painted wood. You can find more info on this and nearby barns on my blog Here. Technical stuff: this is a 3x HDR photo compiled with Photomatix. It was taken too close to dusk that would normally be too dim or blurry of a photo without use of HDR with the typical settings from my canon S1 IS. UPDATE: a few years after this photo was taken, US68 was widened in the area, much as it has been done all across the state. When I look at the area in Google Maps, the barn might be gone now. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
Worlds 8th Wonder Although not a barn, this is part of the See Rock City barn-painting program. The letters are very faded and it hasn't been painted in decades, but if you look closely, you can see the words. The top line is SEE ROCK CITY and the bottom line is World's 8th Wonder. This is on the westbound side of Seveirville - so if you are finishing your Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge Destination, you would have seen the ad. It's Located along Highway U.S. 411 / 441, also known as the Chapman Highway. I can't tell what this building did, as it's covered in Kudzu and has a basement floor. The other side has a similar See Ruby Falls sign. if this interests you, I invite you to check my blog at see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
See Rock City Take US 41 Although this is not a barn, it is park of Rock City's advertising barn program painted by Clark Byers. It's tough to read, but it does say SEE ROCK CITY TAKE US 41. This is in Murfreesboro, TN on US Highway 231 just north of US41. This is a Silo, isn't it? those who are more familiar with farm structures might need to inform me. I wonder if at one time, the letters were painted over in accordance with the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, but the covering paint wore off since it wasn't as durable. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
Crumbling Barn with multiple old advertisements This Dilapedated barn has several old advertisements on it. Three are visible in this picture. See my comment below for closeups. This is a "Rock City Barn" On the left, with very peeled letters are "See Rock City." In addition to the black paint mostly missing, a vertical strip of metal with the R and C is gone. Facing the street is an old sign for "Crystal Cave" which since the early 1970's has been knwon as Raccoon Mountain Caverns. The words below it read "Chattanooga's best attraction or your money back" To the right of the cave sign is a rusty metal sign for a gas station, which I am unable to read. If you can identify it for me, I would be thankful. Around the corner from the rusty sign is another ad for "See Rock City" but the barn must have been rebuilt at one point as only the See is still showing. This barn is south of Trenton, GA in Dade County on highway U.S. 11, which runs from Chattanooga to Birmingham. If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.lifepointozark.com/2008/09/09/apex-barn-swings/ or here: lisanneharris.com/2013/06/30/sadly-utterly-abandoned-barns/ Sadly, Utterly Abandoned Barns
Obscured by Trees
New Rock City logo on SeeROCKCITY.COM barn This modern rock city barn also has a modern Rock City logo painted on it If Rock City or Painted advertising barns in general interest you, I reccomend you check out my blog HERE. Or, you can read the post about this specific barn HERE.
Rock City Hand-painted Billboard Located north of Nashville on US41A (Clarksville Highway) in Cheatham County
Old Rock City painted wooden billboard You don't see these very often: A painted wooden billboard. I have no idea when this was last painted, but the paint is chipping. The most recent paint job has "See SEVEN STATES" and on the right 41 or (Interstate) 24 with ROCK CITY white letters on black. The previous message had red letters and you can see the red ITY on the right. If this interests you, check out my blog of Rock City and other advertising barns.
See Rock City plate see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-barn-changes-in-20...
See Rock City barn magnet Depicting a rock city barn on Tennessee Highway 58 south of Kingston. The artwork here comes from a book by Anita Armstrong Capps called Rock City Barns: A Tennessee Tradition. Her painting was shrunk and cropped to fit on this magnet made by the Rock City people. This magnet is now discontinued. If Rock City barns interest you, I invite you to check my blog, HERE. If you'd like to read all of my thought about this barn, and the magnet, you can read my specific blog post on this barn HERE.
Stay on TN58 And See... If Rock City barns interest you, I invite you to check my blog, HERE. If you'd like to read all of my thought about this barn, and the magnet linked below, you can read my specific blog post on this barn HERE.
crumbling rock city barn
"See" This is a closeup of what I find to be an interesting Rock City barn. To see the whole story and the rest of this barn Click Here.
Peeled "See Rock City" It is diificult to read the peeled paint, but it did say "SEE ROCK CITY." Much of the black and white paint have peeled off, and a vertical strip with the R in rock and the C in city are gone. This is a closeup of the picture Shown Here.
See Beautiful Rock City Gardens Although the last word is Gardens, I've never seen a picture of this barn unless the barn doors are open, making some of the letters hidden. At one time, the barn painters put GAR to the left of the door and DENS to the right of the door. This is located just south of Loudon, TN along U.S. Highway 11, which used to be known through here as Lee Highway. Lee highway connected Knoxville and Chattanooga. UPDATE: As of late 2010, the last time I drove through here, this barn now appears to be gone. :( If this barn interests you, check out my blog of Rock City Barns: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
See Beautiful Rock City Today This Rock City barn is the only one I am familiar with atop Lookout Mountain. It's located along AL176 (Little River Canyon Parkway) and is south of Little River Canyon park in DeKalb Co., AL. Note: This barn was freshly painted by Rock City in 2023.
Millions Have Seen Rock City. Have You? For my Rock City Barn blog: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
The Other side of a Rock City Barn For more, read: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/05/some-rock-city-barns-a...
When You See Rock City, You See the Best Here's my blog post about this barn: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/05/some-rock-city-barns-a... Hello to anyone who found this picture here: www.bluesunbelt.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=624 This photo has made explore, peaking at #147.
Stay on TN58 and SEE ROCK CITY I drove past this same place 9 months ago and the words ROCK CITY were missing
Used to be a Rock City barn Posted on my blog of Rock City barns: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/06/old-rock-city-barn-nea... Although you can't tell by looking at it, this used to be a Rock City barn, according to the book about Rock City barns by David Jenkins. It appears on page 156. This is now called Murfreesboro Road, but it is also Old U.S. 70S. This used to be the main road between Murfreesboro and Woodbury, TN. It is located in Cannon County about a mile east of Readyville. When this was still the main highway, this barn was a great location for an advertisement barn. The road goes uphill and the top of this barn is seen not too far in the distance directly in front of street before it curves to the left of the barn. The large roof of the barn is directly facing the street before the curve. The Current U.S. 70S runs parallel to this street about a mile away. Like most of the newer highways, The John Bragg Hwy is a straighter four-lane divided highway.
Quilt pattern on the back of an old Rock City Barn This is the back of a Rock City barn. It is located in Brown Co., OH on Old US 62 just a couple of miles north of Ripley I have started a blog about the Rock City barns I have visited, which you can read at: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ For the specific blog post on this specific Rock City barn see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/12/changes-and-preservati...
Street level view of a Rock City Barn This is a view of a Rock City barn which peaks up above the top of the street, before the street runs just to the left of the barn. If you drove through here before US 62 was rerouted, this is the first of this ad barn you would see. I have started a blog about the Rock City barns I have visited, which you can read at: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ For the specific blog post on this specific Rock City barn see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/12/changes-and-preservati...
Some Rock City barns do not change for many decades Who Can Find the misspelled word on this barn? At one time, this barn was on U.S. Highway 62 in Brown County. However, U.S. 62 and U.S. 68 were joined to form a 4-lane divided highway and most traffic was diverted off of this road. When that happened, there would be no need to repaint this Rock City ad, and fix the misspelled word. I've also heard stories about the Mail Pouch barn painters that sometimes, they would misspell the word Tobacco just to see if anyone noticed. Once someone complained, they'd go back and fix it. This barn is a couple of miles north of the city if Ripley, Oh and this road becomes Main St. into Ripley where it will meet U.S. 52, which is also now the Ohio River Scenic Byway. I have linked to two other views of this barn below: 1) This is the virst view a passing motoris would see of this barn as they were driving this highway is the top of the barn peeking out over the top of the street before the street winds to the left. 2) On the back of the barn is a painted quilt pattern. I have started a blog about the Rock City barns I have visited, which you can read at: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ For the specific blog post on this specific Rock City barn see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/12/changes-and-preservati...
A very faded Rock City barn it says(I think): SEE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CITY LOOKOUT MT. Chattanooga, Tenn although I can't see it, usually there's a "Atop" before Lookout Mt. and a "near" before Chattanooga, tn My wife and I were driving North from Nashville to Louisville and we both loke country driving off the interstates. One good section of highway we'd never taken was U.S. Highway 31W north of Cave City, Ky into Louisville. In the past, we had driven 31W from Cave City to Bowling Green as there are some Rock City barns there. Most drives between two big cities have one major highway, but Nashville to Louisville have 2: 31E and 31W. Both are very old routes. 31E goes by Lincoln's Birthplace as the Lincoln's lived on that route which became 31E. Dixie Highway, which was the major tourism route from Chicago to Miami in the dawn of auto travel in the 1920's in this area has become 31W. Since we were driving North, if we were to spot a Rock City ad, we'd have to turn around to see it as they would only be useful for people going in the right direction. Most Rock City barns I know about before we get to it, based on other people's pictures online. There's also the most thorough collection in the Rock City Barns book by David Jenkins. However, if a barn appears in that book from about 12 years ago and it's doesn't appear in someone's online collection, that often means it's gone. When I drive down a highway like this, I always have a tendancy to look behind me at every prime location of a barn we pass just to make sure we aren't missing anything. Occasionally, I say "That would make a good one" when I see a barn with a big side that faces oncoming traffic, as my wife humors me and nods. For the first time, I was right. I noticed the huge roof on the north side of the barn, which make for the perfect sign for southbound traffic. This barn is in Hardin County, KY, but 31W through here serves as the border between Hardin and Larue counties. I-65 runs very close to 31W through here and can be seen not far away. This barn is about a mile south of the intersection with KY Highway 84 If you read all that and it didn't bore you, I invite you to my blog where I seemingly ramble nostop about such topics, albeit with better proofreading. see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
A tough to read Rock City barn a better description of this barn is in the close-up. Here. or in my ad barn blog here: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/07/very-faded-rock-city-b...
Stay on --> TENN58 and SEE Beautiful__ ROCK CITY This is a few miles north of Chattanooga on highway TN58 inside the Hamilton County line. not far from Georgetown, TN This once made explore, peaking at #485 **Update: It appears the part of the barn with the word ROCK has been replaced with new wood since this photo was taken.
See 7 States from Rock City - version 2 located along highway Old U.S. 68 a few miles south of Georgetown, OH in Brown County.
Believe it or not, a Rock City Barn You can take my word for it, or pull up the original size and try to see some of the very very faded letters for yourself. SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY if this barn interests you, check out my Rock City barn blog at see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ or my post about this barn here: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/2007/10/well-worn-barn-in-spen...
Two Sided Rock City Barn east side This rock city barn which hasn't been painted in decades is a rare two-sided rock city advertisement. This barn is several miles west of Pikeville, TN in Bledsoe County not far from the Van Buren county line or the entrance to Fall Creek Falls state park SEE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CITY atop Lookout MT. The same message on both sides I have granted permission to the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association to use this photo here: www.southeasttennessee.com/www/docs/7
Two Sided Rock City Barn west side This rock city barn which hasn't been painted in decades is a rare two-sided rock city advertisement. This barn is several miles west of Pikeville, TN in Bledsoe County not far from the Van Buren county line or the entrance to Fall Creek Falls state park SEE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CITY atop Lookout MT. The same message on both sides Here is the other side
Two Sided Rock City Barn closeup east side This rock city barn which hasn't been painted in decades is a rare two-sided rock city advertisement. This barn is several miles west of Pikeville, TN in Bledsoe County not far from the Van Buren county line or the entrance to Fall Creek Falls state park
Two Sided Rock City Barn closeup west side This rock city barn which hasn't been painted in decades is a rare two-sided rock city advertisement. This barn is several miles west of Pikeville, TN in Bledsoe County not far from the Van Buren county line or the entrance to Fall Creek Falls state park
When you see Rock City you see the best This is along the very touristy chapman highway between Knoxville and Sevierville, TN. This is a relatively newer painted barn in the Rock City barn advertising program, and not one of the classic Clark Byers painted barns. The O in YOU on the top row is partially obscured by a Christmas decoration. Along with a wreath on the barn's front door, you'd think it might be Christmas, but this was really in September. They also have a UT flag flying in the wind.
See Rock City This was the third rock city barn I ever visited almost 3 years ago. Now that I live in this county, I shall likely pass by more often. It is a few miles south of Eagleville, TN on U.S. 41A If this kind of thing interests you, check out my blog: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ Hello to anyone who found this photo HERE: interestingflickrsets.blogspot.com/2008/02/rock-city-barn...
Crumbling Rock City barn This is a barn I need to revisit about once a year to see how much it's fallen in. I last took a picture of it about 3 years ago. It used to be one of the most magnificent Rock City Barns and appeared on the cover of the book "See Rock City Barns: A Tennessee Traditions" Located along highway US41A in Rover, TN, which is north of Shelbyville in Bedford County. Update: I drove past this barn again on 1/31/2012 and it is now gone as only a few miscellaneous boards remain. It's a shame I never saw it in its full glory, but at least I got this glimpse of it.
See 7 States from Rock City SEE 7 STATES From ROCK CITY atop LOOKOUT MT. Below and to the left of lookout MT., it used to also say CHATTANOOGA, TENN. but that has been painted over. Along U.S. Highway 62 in Robertson Co., KY If Rock City barns interest you, check out my blog at see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
Rock City Barn painted side On Highway 41 between Adams and Springfield in Robertson County, this barn once had a painted ad for Rock City, but the barn was completely repainted in Red. That must have been a few years back because now the black and white Rock City paint barely show through. I didn't know for certain that it was a rock city barn until I got home and found it in my book of rock City Barns.
Once was a Rock City Barn On Highway 41 between Adams and Springfield in Robertson County, this barn once had a painted ad for Rock City, but the barn was completely repainted in Red. That must have been a few years back because now the black and white Rock City paint barely show through. It might be slightly easier to tell in the next photo. I didn't know for certain that it was a rock city barn until I got home and found it in my book of Rock City Barns.
See Beautiful Rock City Rock City Barn along U.S. 64 in Giles County, TN close to the Lawrence County border. US64 is the old way from Memphis to Chattanooga The line where the wood has been replaced said "World's 8th Wonder" If this barn interests you, check out my Rock City Barn blog at: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/
Bring Your Camera ...and see ROCK CITY Located along US 11, Lee Highway in McMinn County about 2 miles north of Sweetwater, TN. OhioBarns.com designates this barn as RCB 42-5901 ohiobarns.com/otherbarns/roci/TN/RCB42-59-01.html
See 7 States from Rock City 2B If it ain't broke, don't fix it. In this case, perhaps I couldn't help myself. Over three years ago, when I was a relative photography novice compared to today, I took a photo of this leaning See Rock City barn on highway US64 in Lawrence County. It soon became my first photo to make explore, became my #1 photo in interestingness, and my wife turned in into a poster to display in our dining room. But, this day was a beautiful day, you never know how long these Rock City Barns are going to last, and most importantly, there's nothing wrong with taking a few more photos.
See 7 States from Rock City 2A If it ain't broke, don't fix it. In this case, perhaps I couldn't help myself. Over three years ago, when I was a relative photography novice compared to today, I took a photo of this leaning See Rock City barn on highway US64 in Lawrence County. It soon became my first photo to make explore, became my #1 photo in interestingness, and my wife turned in into a poster to display in our dining room. But, this day was a beautiful day, you never know how long these Rock City Barns are going to last, and most importantly, there's nothing wrong with taking a few more photos.
See Rock City barn - Ethridge, TN Along highway US43 between Columbia and Lawrenceburg is the small town of Ethridge, TN. Ethridge is best known for all the nearby Amish farms. Many people come to Ethridge to buy various fresh produce. From there, a bunch of flea markets and antique stores describing themselves as Amish Tourist Information stops sprung up. With all of the tourists coming to the area, this Rock City Barn now appears in the middle of it all. Despite the rust of the roof coming through the white paint, I believe this is one of the newer Rock City barns around. For what it's worth, the "A Place of Rest Campground" is on an old Amish farm.
Blount County Rock City Barn B Located along highway U.S. 129. I took this photo three years ago and meant to upload it, and then never got around to it. Today, flickr user tnserose contacted me and told me that her grandfather owned this barn. How cool! I figured today is as good a time as any to dust off this photo and put it online.
Blount County Rock City Barn A Located along highway U.S. 129. I took this photo three years ago and meant to upload it, and then never got around to it. Today, flickr user tnserose contacted me and told me that her grandfather owned this barn. How cool! I figured today is as good a time as any to dust off this photo and put it online.
When You See... When You See Rock City You See the Best. This is indeed a Rock City barn, although if you didn't know what the rest of the message said, you wouldn't realize it. The colors above the newer overhand have faded, and underneath it so dark under there that you can't see any of the words when driving by. This Rock City barn is seen by the westbound traffic on US70/25W less than a mile East of I-40 and approx 3 miles west of Dandridge, TN in Jefferson County. (Satisfying my inner roadgeek,) when I look at this spot on Google Earth, I wonder if at one time, before the interstate came through the area if this "Ashville Highway" passed to the right of this barnas now the highway passes to the left
See 7 States from Rock City SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY atop LOOKOUT MT. This Rock City barn is located along highway U.S. 70 (Broadway of America) a couple of miles east of McEwen, TN in Humphrey's County. This message was written for the eastbound passengers to see. This barn was built in 1925 and belongs to the Holloran family farm. I saw a photo of this barn taken in 1995 and there was another faded ad on the front of the barn which you can't even see now and was very faded in that photo from 15 years ago. It looks like it spelled ORELISKET, so your guess is as good as mine.
Tough to see Rock City Barn This Rock City barn goes way back on a highway that goes way back... This is on an old but still drivable strech of the Dixie Highway, which later became US41. When traffic demands became higher, a newer Joe Frank Harris Pkwy was made parallel to the old Dixie Highway, but the stretch of Dixie Highway is still drivable. As for the barn, it's tough to tell exactly how many decades ago this was painted, but it must have been a long time ago. Perhaps the only reason any of the letters on the side of the barn survived is because the barn owner added the extension to the barn, keeping the paint from the elements. If you look at the barn from the side, you can see the word Beautiful in script and then a large block ROCK CITY. Also, if you look closely at the roof of the barn, I can tell that it used to have part of the message too (The paint colors cause different shades of rust) but It is unreadable now. This is located just north of Adairsville, GA in Bartow County about 1000 feet south of the Gordon County line.
William Chaney's Rock City Barn This old tobacco barn was painted in the early 1940's to advertise to westbound motorists coming from Newport to Seveirville along highway US411. SEE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CITY World's 8th Wonder www.SeeRockCity.com NEAR Chattanooga Tenn. We can safely assume the website address wasn't there in the 40's. That's because this once crumbling barn was restored. In 2000, this barn became a project for the Hampton Hotels Save-A-Landmark Project. On June 15 that year, Hamptom employees and local volunteers met together to restore this barn by rebuilding the walls, doors and roof, and then repainting it. Then Tennessee First Lady Martha Sundquist was on hand assisting the efforts to restore the six decade icon.
See 7 States from Rock City Two years in a row, I have planned a drive part this rock city barn on a trip and both times it was raining buckets. Maybe next time...
Goodbye...Tell Your Friends... GOODBYE TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT ROCK CITY Out of all the Rock City Barns there's ever been, this might be the only one that doesn't suggest you "See" Rock City, and also might be the only one that you see when travelling away from Chattanooga. If You are travelling west on I-24, this is between exit 158 and 155. It'll be on your right and you'll be looking down on it from the Interstate. I don't know how many times I drove right past it until I made a conscious decision to hunt it down - not from the interstate - but from the rural street where you can get a better (and safer) view.
See Beautiful Rock City To-day Not far from Sevierville, TN, this See Rock City Barn is located along the Chapman Highway (U.S. 441 and U.S. 411) at the intersection with Garner Hollow LN. Those going westbound will see this. Of note to Rock City Barn enthusiasts, the way the "Today" is painted is different than it used to be. It is all block letters now, but used to be in cursive script. The cursive part has been painted over in black but barely can be seen below the TY in CITY. Click the photo below to see a closeup.
See 7 States from Rock City This well maintained Rock City barn is in the northern part of Grundy County on highway US41 near Pelham, TN
The ever crumbling rock city barn Not too many years ago, this was one of the grandest Rock City Barns to be seen. This barn even was on the cover of the book "Rock City Barns: A Tennessee Tradition" which was a book of Rock City Barns shown as watercolor paintings by Anita Armstrong Capps. But that was 15 years ago. It's sad, but every couple of years, I drive down highway US41A near Rover, TN just to see exactly how much the 125 year old barn has fallen in since the last visit. Here is the view from 2 years earlier: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/2173459154/in/set-7... From about 4 1/2 years ago: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/208607940/in/set-72... Update: I drove bast this barn again on 1/31/2012 and it is now gone as only a few miscellaneous boards remain. It's a shame I never saw it in its full glory, but at least I got this glimpse of it.
Very faded "See Rock City" barn You have to look very closely to see any of the paint. At one time, it said: SEE ROCK CITY World's 8th Wonder When travelling southbound on US11 from the city of Sweetwater, this old barn is on the left, and this farm land is right next to an Ingles grocery store. This could be some prime real estate, so who knows how much longer this barn will be here. (Of course, I thought the same thing when I first saw it in 2007.)
an impossible to see Rock City Barn Most Rock City Barns you can't see are lost to the ages. This one is lost to a bunch of trees, a house and other possesions of the landowners. I had driven through here several years ago and didn't even see it - and I was specifically looking for Rock City Barns! However, on my second trip southbound on US11 from Knoxville to Chattanooga right before winter, I spotted it, or at least a small part of it. I don't have the nerve to pull into someone's driveway and knock on their door to ask for permission to photograph their barn. So, I spent a while driving around the area to see if I could get a decent view. When I deemed that fruitless, I got on the main road and just looked for the best I could get, which is this view - far away with a full zoom. It's on US11 in McMinn County between Riceville and Calhoun.
See 7 States From Rock City it looks like it also said "Near Chattanooga, Tenn" but some of those boards have been missing for many years. This barn is visible to the southbound traffic on highway US 11E between Bull's Gap and Whitesburg in Hamblen Co., TN. When Clark Byers first painted the barn, it belonged to James Self.
Bring Your Camera and See Rock City This vintage Rock City Barn is seen travelling Southbound along Highway US11 (Lee Highway) just inside the McMinn County Line. For this view, I took a side street off the main road to the to get a reflection off the lake. Lee Highway / US11 is the old way of getting from Knoxville to Chattanooga. Of all the Rock City Barns I have seen, this one is the only one with the message to Bring Your Camera.
Bring Your Camera and See Rock City This vintage Rock City Barn is seen travelling Southbound along Highway US11 (Lee Highway) just inside the McMinn County Line Lee Highway / US11 is the old way of getting from Knoxville to Chattanooga. Of all the Rock City Barns I have seen, this one is the only one with the message to Bring Your Camera.
See Beautiful Rock City Here's a heavily obscured rock city barn. The top part of the roof says "See Beautiful Rock City." The second part of the roof says "World's 8th Wonder." Then, below that the vertical part says "Near Chattanooga, Tenn." Unfortunately, there is much overgrowth in front of this barn, making it difficult to see. Here is an old view of this barn: ohiobarns.com/otherbarns/roci/TN/RCB42-08-01.html This barn is visible when travelling Eastbound on US70S (TN1) between Woodbury and McMinnville. If you go hunting for it, the nearest cross street is Cummins Hollow Rd.
SEE ROCK CITY atop LOOKOUT MT. Chattanooga, Tenn This Rock City Barn is along US31E (and before that, the Jackson Highway) just north of Glasgow, KY in Barren County.
See Rock City & Trading Post A couple days ago, I got an email from a lady named Sharon, who found this photo online. As it turns out, this barn used to belong to the family of her husband. Near the small town of Lake Tansi in Cumberland County, TN along state highway 282 is this See Rock City Barn. The barn was built in the 1930's when the family of Sharon's husband moved there. The Rock City ad hadn't been added until after that family had sold the property in the late 60's. This may be one of the newer Rock City barns, as it isn't listed in the thorough David Jenkins boook Rock City Barns. The current owners have converted the barn into the Country Trading Post, however they weren't open on the day I visited. They also have quite the liscense plate collection, (See large size). I took this photo nearly 5 years ago, but had forgotten to ever upload it to flickr. Sharon stumbled across the photo on my Webshots account, which frankly I forget I have. :)
When You See ROCK CITY... (Black & White) When You See ROCK CITY You See The Best Vines used to cover the When and all of the lower boards have been replaced, but this is an easy Rock City Barn to catch. This barn is on highway US 31E in Hart County, KY and is facing southbound traffic.
When You See ROCK CITY... When You See ROCK CITY You See The Best Vines are covering the When and many of the lower boards have been replaced, but this is an easy Rock City Barn to catch. This barn is on highway US 31E in Hart County, KY and is facing southbound traffic
37 Miles to Rock City 37 Miles to Beautiful ROCK CITY Take U.S. 11 North This Rock City barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Clark Byers was the painter of Rock City barns for a few decades. When he retired from life on the road, his next venture was to open up Sequoyah Cavers as a tourist attraction. The cave is located on property known as the Ellis Homestead, where the family that has been living here since 1843 continues to farm on the grounds while they greet visitors. Byers, who I suppose still loved to paint, posted a dual message on the family barn. On one side is a simple message letting motorists know exactly where the caverns are located. On the other side, I suppose is a free plug for his former employers, suggesting you see another tourist attraction just a few miles up the road when your visit here is over. I don't know if this is permanently gone, or if it was just open on this day where you can't see it, but when this was originally painted, across the botton was another message with a painting of Sequoyah and inside an arrowhear pointing to the right pointed the entrance only 200 yards away.
Very faded SEE ROCK CITY barn you have to really look close to see it, as most of the paint has been weathered away over the years. If you didn't know to look for it, you likely wouldn't have noticed it. at the very top is SEE second line is BEAUTIFUL biggest line is ROCK CITY Then below that was another line that could have said "atop lookout mtn." Here's what it looked like a few years ago, when it was easier to read: ohiobarns.com/otherbarns/roci/KY/RCB17-114-01.html The Barn is located in Warren Co., KY along US 31W near the intersection of KY1659. It faces southbound traffic about halfway between Park City and Bowling Green. I should have been counting these from the beginning. By my count, this is the 64th different Rock City Barn I have a photo of on Flickr. More to come.
See Rock City - World's 8th Wonder There's several commonly seen Rock City barns in and around Sevierville, and this one might be the least frequently seen. Travelers coming from the east travel along US 411. I think in the 80's, the Dolly Parton Highway was built to accommodate the growing traffic. It runs parallel to Old TN Highway 35, the old Newport Highway. This barn is located along the old highway. Also located in the area is the Old Covered Bridge. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 65th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr.
See Rock City - World's 8th Wonder There's several commonly seen Rock City barns in and around Sevierville, and this one might be the least frequently seen. Travelers coming from the east travel along US 411. I think in the 80's, the Dolly Parton Highway was built to accommodate the growing traffic. It runs parallel to Old TN Highway 35, the old Newport Highway. This barn is located along the old highway. Also located in the area is the Old Covered Bridge. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 65th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr. UPDATE: See my comment below - this barn may be gone now.
Faded SEE ROCK CITY barn It's so faded that I had to do a double take to see it myself. the letters are on the left half of the upper portion of the roof. The top line is SEE BEAUTIFUL the next line is a larger ROCK CITY and the last line is ATOP LOOKOUT MT CHATT. TENN. You might need to look at the picture full size to see any of these words. This barn is visible to eastbound traffic along highway 30 between McMinnville and Spencer. See it on a map here: maps.google.com/maps?q=spencer,+tn&ll=35.734323,-85.5... For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 66th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr.
See 7 States from ROCK CITY SEE 7 STATES FROM ROCK CITY Worlds 8th Wonder Chatt. Tenn If this Rock City barn looks familiar, you may have seen it before. It's the barn on the cover of the Rock City Barn book by David Jenkins. (Although his picture was taken when the leaves turned in the fall, while standing on the farm with sheep in the foreground, when the dusk light was perfect.) TN Highway 68 in Cumberland County leaves Crossville, and a bit later after a hilly, curvy area, the road becomes flat and strait and this barn lines up to your vision. A mile up the road is this Rock City Barn. Highway TN68 continues on to US27, which heads south into Chattanooga. I actually took this photo nearly 5 years ago and for whatever reason I simply forgot to upload it. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 67th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr. UPDATE: I took this photo in 2006. Over the years, the roof got a little rusty. They repainted it in 2022, so it looks nice and new again.
Rock City is Beautiful Beyond Belief If you've looked through my photostream, you'll see lots of Rock City Barns! I have books, I have maps, I have charts, I have notes from the time I've looked on the Internet to find out where all these barns are. And yet, I missed it. Oh, I was looking for it. I just missed it. It was about 6 years ago, and my wife and I went out towards Cumberland Falls in hopes of catching the famed Moonbow, and along the way. My gracious wife humors me on these trips as we take a way-out-of-the-way route often with the hope of finding barns. With a dozen or so plotted, we made our trip. Sadly, it's not unusual to miss one. The books are a few years old and some have been torn down right before I got there and others have been razed since the day I was there. If I don't see it, I just assume it's gone for good, and go along my merry way. Sometimes, it's hidden. For instance, I might look in the right place, but the wrong direction. I thought this one had been gone for good, like so many along the ever-expanding US27 tend to be. Then one day, one of my flickr friends uploaded their picture of the barn, and then it had been in the back of my mind for the next four years as I needed to go look again. It's one of those areas that far away enough that it stretches the limit of what a day trip can accomplish, but too close to make a vacation out of. I picked a Saturday near the longest day of the year and made my way out there. And I missed it. Again. Thus, I began to wonder if I just wasn't meant to see this one. Of course, I turned around and couldn't miss it. It's located in Scott County, TN along US27 near Winfield, TN about a mile south of the Kentucky border. As you can see here, there's a lot of greenery surrounding it. To my recollection, it's the only one I've seen with the message the Rock City is Beautiful Beyond Belief. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 68th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr. Just make sure you're heading south.
The Rock City barn you can see from Rock City When I started my quest to take photos of Rock City barns, it began with the one you can see from Rock City from the see 7 states overlook. The people at Rock City own this farmland below and it is part of their Enchanted Maize at Blowing Spring. I believe this is a unique design for the Rock City Barn painters, the only one to be painted like a birdhouse, their other major form of advertising. Originally, the barn was built in 1948 by Gene Tibbs at his farm in Dalton, GA. In the 60's, Clark Byers painted the barn to be visible to motorists travelling along I-75. Whitfield County named the barn a historic site in the 80's but an expansion project by the Central Church of Christ in Dalton meant the barn was in danger of being torn down. A collaborative effort between the people at Rock City , the Tibbs Family, the church and a business that specializes in relocating historic log houses enabled the barn to be where it is today. The canary and the perch it stands on are new, but other than a fresh coat of paint, it looks similar to the way it did 40 years ago. This view is taken from near the entrance to the farm along Old Chattanooga Valley Rd in Walker County, GA. While I have here revisted my first rock city barn, I have uploaded 68 unique barns to my Flickr photostream.
See Beautiful Rock City Today This barn is located on highway US11E about a mile west of New Market, TN in Jefferson County and is visible to westbound traffic heading towards Knoxville. According to the book "See Rock City Barns: A Tennessee Tradition" The barn and farm have remained in the same family for over a century. The barn is sometimes used to hold tobacco, but there is none to be seen on this day. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 69th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr. Hello to anyone who found this here: salamanteri.net/georgia/2013/01/absurdi-turistikohde/
Millions Have Seen Rock City...Have You? I took this photo several years ago really close to dusk. It's not a good photo and I need to revisit someday. For the meantime, this is a placeholder for my collection until I can revisit. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 70th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr. It's technically not a barn, but it was painted along with the barns, so I include it. It's located on highway AL 75 atop Sand Mountain in DeKalb County, AL
Would be a pity to miss Rock City I suppose one thing my photostream is known for is the extensive collection of Rock City barns. I drive the backroads whenever I can and stumble across some that way. However most of the barns that I photograph are already known by the community at large, such as the Rock City Barn book that they commissioned about 15 years ago, or websites such as ohiobarns.com. If it's to be found, then I've found it. Or so I thought. About a month ago, a reader of my website named Steve wrote me. He likes looking for the barns, too. He found a barn that I missed, the book missed and I suppose everyone who's posted their barn shots on the internet has missed, too. And, it's in my home county! (That's the part that really got under my skin.) It's along US41, just about a mile away from one that I have photographed. I'm not sure how many times I've driven right past it. There weren't really any trees or other obstructions blocking the view, but the roof is rather rusty making it a tough read. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 71st different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr. Would be a pity to miss this barn ever again.
See Rock City atop Lookout Mt. Some Rock City barns are easier to spot than others. This one was likely painted decades ago. Since then, the roof has rusted so bad, that you almost can't see the faded letters at all. (Even still, you need to view it at original size just to see it.) In smaller letters, at the top in the center is SEE. Then in larger letters going all the way across is ROCK CITY. Part of the T and all the Y of CITY on the metal roof is missing. easier to read is: atop LOOKOUT MT. Chattanooga, Tenn. This barn is on US Highway 41, south of Murfreesboro and barely in Rutherford Co. on the East side of the street. Before interstates, if you were willing to drive up and down Monteagle, US 41 is the old highway that goes between Chattanooga and runs a mile from my house. (It actually connects Milwaukee to Miami.) This area is now much less travelled with the construction of I-24 in the 1960's. This barn was likely painted over 40 years ago. I first visited this barn six years ago and you can see how the barn has fallen apart since then. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is one of 71 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr.
37 Miles to Beautiful Rock City (2012) This Rock City barn is located at the Ellis Homestead at Sequoyah Caverns. Clark Byars, who was the famous Rock City barn painter, later in life was hired to commercially operate the caverns. He painted ads for both tourist destinations on this barn. I was last here in 2006. Since then, this barn has suffered some wind damage. I don't know this for certain, but I would imagine the storms that devestated parts of Alabama on April 27, 2011 did this damage. That storm was best known for the large Tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa. It progressed later on Sand Mountain (past the house of one of my wife's relatives, about five miles from here) and kept going to Trenton, GA. You can easily see where parts of the roof were ripped off and deposited in the field.
Buffalo, White Deer and Rock City This barn is barely standing up. You may need to enlarge it to see what it fully says. At one time, this was a Rock City barn, and the CK CITY still comes through at the bottom half of this barn. When Sequoyah Cavern opened commercially, this barn was repainted to say Buffalo and White Deer. The big blob on the left is an arrow that points at Sequoyah Cavern. You can see this barn along Interstate 59 in Dekalb County, Alabama, and this barn points you at the street that runs to Sequoyah Cavern, although there is not an interstate exit here. The Sequoyah Caverns people apparently don't have a buffalo anymore. This photo is featured in my Rock City Barn blog post HERE Or you can see all the posts: see-rock-city.blogspot.com/ Useless info: When I was first trying to read this, I thought it may have been for Buffalo Rock, the local Pepsi distributor, and makers of the fine product, Dr. Wham.
37 Miles to Beautiful Rock City (2012) This Rock City barn is located at the Ellis Homestead at Sequoyah Caverns. Clark Byers, who was the famous Rock City barn painter, later in life was hired to commercially operate the caverns. He painted ads for both tourist destinations on this barn. I was last here in 2006. Since then, this barn has suffered some wind damage. I don't know this for certain, but I would imagine the storms that devestated parts of Alabama on April 27, 2011 did this damage. That storm was best known for the large Tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa. It progressed later on Sand Mountain (past the house of one of my wife's relatives, about five miles from here) and kept going to Trenton, GA. You can easily see where parts of the roof were ripped off and deposited in the field.
37 Miles to Beautiful Rock City (2012) This Rock City barn is located at the Ellis Homestead at Sequoyah Caverns. Clark Byars, who was the famous Rock City barn painter, later in life was hired to commercially operate the caverns. He painted ads for both tourist destinations on this barn. I was last here in 2006. Since then, this barn has suffered some wind damage. I don't know this for certain, but I would imagine the storms that devastated parts of Alabama on April 27, 2011 did this damage. That storm was best known for the large Tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa. It progressed later on Sand Mountain (past the house of one of my wife's relatives, about five miles from here) and kept going to Trenton, GA. You can easily see where parts of the roof were ripped off and deposited in the field.
When You See ROCK CITY You see the Best (2012) The rust has made this old barn difficult to read, but it says: When You See ROCK CITY You See The Best The "ou" in You is also underlined. This barn is located on U.S. Highway 11 in Dekalb County, Alabama, north of Ft. Payne. US 11 runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga. This barn was last painted decades ago. I last visited this barn six years ago and you can see how the barn has fallen apart since then. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is one of 72 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
See Rock City Today Small Rock City Barns get shorter messages! This is along US11 in northern DeKalb County, AL about a mile or two from the GA state line, where the older highway closely parallels Interstate 59. In fact, the other barn has a message, too - it's an old painted ad for Ruby Falls. That message is only visible from the interstate and not US11. Also, the barn on the right has a message on the other side facing southbound traffic on US11, a very faded ad for Sequoyah Caverns, which is a couple of miles away. I last visited this barn in 2006, when it had been recently painted. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is one of 72 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
35 Miles to Beautiful Rock City This Rock City "Barn" is in a car junkyard on Highway US 11 in Dekalb County, Alabama. US11 is the old highway that runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga. The other side of the barn is a painted ad for Sequoyah Caverns, which isn't too far away. I've been to this barn before, about six years before. Since then, the roof appears to have some damage along either side. I don't know this for certain, but based on nearby places that were damaged, it could have been caused by the same day of storms that produced the Tuscaloosa Tornado. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is one of 72 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
See Incomparable Rock City File this in the category of not my best photo, but I haven't been back in nearly six years, so it will do for now. But still, it's part of the collection. This barn is located in DeKalb County, AL along highway AL75 atop Sand Mountain less than five miles from the Georgia border. The photo was also taken around dusk so it didn't come out too bright. For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is the 73rd different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
See Ruby Falls and See Rock City barn If you live in the not-so-deep south, if you were to think of an advertising barn, you'd think of the many "See Rock City" barns that used to be all over the countryside. This barn used to be one of those. At some point, however, the rival barn painting tourist trap from Lookout Mountian was permitted to repaint this barn with a "See Ruby Falls" message in their colors of red and turquoise. This barn is on U.S. Highway 41 right on your map where it says Noah, TN in Coffee County, just north of Manchester. With the construction of Interstate 24 about 40 years ago, this highway is less often used now. So this was probably painted before then, and would have been a rock city barn before that. Rock City Paint was some high quality mixture, and has been known to outlast many things. The ruby falls paint has chipped just enough that the Rock City white is beginning to show through. Make sure you see the Meramec Caverns ad on the other side: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/7374326586/ I've photographed this barn before, but never counted it on my Rock City Barn checklist. So, now this is the 74th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
See Rock City barn in Amish Country Ethridge, a small town in the northern part of Lawrence County, is the central location for Tennessee's Amish population. The city is also located along US43 between Columbia and Lawrenceburg. Several Amish merchants opened up shops long this main road. This was soon followed by other merchants who capitalized on the fact that people came to this area to shop, and other trading posts, antique malls, gift shops and shopping centers opened on the main road. A minor tourist spot was born, and often when you find a tourist spot in the south, a barn telling you to see Rock City isn't too far away. I last photographed this barn three years ago in 2009. Since then, the barns owner has added all of the metal signs you see here: Coca-Cola, Greyhound, Pet, Purina Chow. I also waited until the Amish man in his buggy had rounded the corner. (Generally speaking, the Amish don't like to have their picture taken where they can be identifiable.) This is one of 74 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
See Beautiful Rock City Although most of the wood that says this part has been replaced, it used to say "World's 8th Wonder" below ROCK CITY. (The top of the first W and most of ONDER is still visible. On this particular day, I got there about an hour or so before dusk and I liked the way the trees cast a shadow upon this oft viewed barn. This Rock City barn is located in Giles County, TN less than a mile from Lawrence County. Highway US 64 runs from Memphis to Chattanooga and at one time there were many of these barns along the way. Now, I think only three remain. This particular highway over the last two decades has had extensive route upgrades and the old windy road that passed by here has been paralelled by a new two lane divided highway so that you're probably not going to see this unless you venture onto the back roads to look for it. This is the third time I've been through here, previously in Winter of 2006 and the Fall of 2008. This is one of 74 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
Rock City Barn This is one of those barns that I got to somewhat late in the day and it didn't show up too well. I can't even determine all that it says on the roof. But alas, I took this photo 5 years ago and I haven't been back since, so at some point I need to upload what I have. It's facing southbound traffic on US62 about five miles north of Cynthiana in Harrison County, KY. Wile I want to take a better photo of it someday, it is still another one to add to my online collection. This is the 75th different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
It's Fun for the Family in Rock City This is known as "Leon Thomas's Rock City Barn." It is located on U.S. Highway 41 in Hillsboro, TN which is about 8 miles north of Monteagle. This is in Coffee County. You might notice the 3 wooden slats on the right are a slightly different color. Almost 20 years ago, a tornado came through this area and ripped that portion of the barn off. The wood was replaced, and then repainted. Decades ago, this barn did not have the front extension. Underneath the "Rock City" was the edge of the barn. At one time, This vertical section had an ad for "Wonder Cave" which is in the area. I have photographed this barn once before in 2006. Back then, the Rock City paint job looked shiny in new, so this is how it looks after 6 years of the elements. Also, the older view was the angle you'd see it from highway US41, wheras this view is an alternate angle from a side street. That older view is here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/161437012/ This is one of 75 different Rock City barn I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
See 7 States from ROCK CITY atop Lookout Mountain I have driven past this barn three times in my life. The first time was in 2009 on a day it was raining quite heavy. The next time was in 2010 on a day it was raining somewhat heavy. Then, I saw it again in 2011 on a day where it was solid clouds, but not raining. Now, you would think if I were to drive past it again here in 2012, it would be a beautiful sunny day, but it doesn't look like I'll have a chance, so I'm going with the cloudy 2011 pictures. This is seen when travelling southbound along US11W in Grainger County, TN just north of Rutledge. Have you ever wished there was a convenient way to find all of the Rock City Barns that are still out there? Well, that's what I've tried to do on my website. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map. The Barn seen here is one of 75 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr in my Rock City Barns set.
Rock City Barn at Legacy Farms First of all, I would like to thank my best friend Will C. for letting me upload his photo. While I am eager to visit this place and take a photo like this, it might be a while before I ever get the opportunity to visit this venue. Legacy Farms is often used as a wedding venue south of Lebanon, TN along highway US231. I am not sure if it is the featured attraction out here, but this barn with a Rock City advertisement makes for quite an interesting photographic spot at their farm. Looking over their website, many professional photos are taken with this as the backdrop. Rock City is well known for their advertising program of hand-painted barns, but they had plenty of hand painted billboards over the years, such as the one seen here which has now been affixed to this barn at Legacy Farms. As is frequently the case with hand-painted billboards, the message changed at some point over the years and as the newer message begins to fade, some of the older words are showing through. See Rock City topped by a curved rainbow was commonly used as their logo in the 1980's, often on a pastel background like powder blue of yellow. Rock City's billboard program dates back to 1946, but Alvin the mascot, who is part of the older advertisement, wasn't created until the 50's. The older message includes "Fun in your future at..." Along the bottom, it says "Kids love Mother Goose Village" which is the large room at the end of Fairyland Caverns and was finished in 1964.
Dual-sided Rock City Barn near Robbinsville, NC Depending on which way you are travelling along highway US129 in Graham County, NC, there is a message on this advertising barn for you. The barn is located near a bend in the highway, so one message is on the south side of the barn, and the other message is along the west side. This is one of those barns that looks like it is being held up by the paint on the barn, so it may not last too much longer. The message on the south side is written on the roof. It says: SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY The other message is painted on the side. This one reads: When You See ROCK CITY You See the Best This is the 76th different Rock City Barn I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Dual-sided Rock City Barn near Robbinsville, NC EXPLORED! :) Thanks everyone. Peaked at #449 Depending on which way you are travelling along highway US129 in Graham County, NC, there is a message on this advertising barn for you. The barn is located near a bend in the highway, so one message is on the south side of the barn, and the other message is along the west side. This is one of those barns that looks like it is being held up by the paint on the barn, so it may not last too much longer. The message on the south side is written on the roof. It says: SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY The other message is painted on the side. This one reads: When You See ROCK CITY You See the Best This is the 76th different Rock City Barn I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Beautiful Rock City atop Lookout Mt. The fine Rock City barn is seen along highway US64 in Cherokee County, NC just a few miles west of Murphy. One thing that makes this barn special is the sections of diagonal boards, which would make for a picturesque setting even if it wasn't a Rock City Barn. This is the 77th different Rock City Barn I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Beautiful Rock City atop Lookout Mt. The fine Rock City barn is seen along highway US64 in Cherokee County, NC just a few miles west of Murphy. One thing that makes this barn special is the sections of diagonal boards, which would make for a picturesque setting even if it wasn't a Rock City Barn. This is the 77th different Rock City Barn I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map. Note: Rock City hired this one to be repainted in 2023. "Near Chattanooga, Tenn" was added.
Very faded rock city barn (Cloudy Version) Several months ago, I got an email from someone that enjoys looking at my photos. He asked if I'd ever photographed both of those Rock City barns south of Murfreesboro on US41. Whenever I'm driving the back roads, I usually keep my eyes peeled, especially on those roads that lead to Chattanooga. Now, one of those barns I was very familiar with. But I was told there were two of them. Through further correspondence he gave me the description. Now, I've driven a couple of states away in search for these remaining barns. Thus, to be told there's one in my own county and I've driven past it several times - I can't come up with the words to describe it. Well, I found it. But then, as it turns out, since I had my eyes super-extra focused on every barn between here and there, I found even another one, seen here. The guy who emailed me never saw it. And, all of the resources online that I like to check, none of them had it either. The master of these barns is probably David Jenkins, the author/photographer of the 1996 book on Rock City barns, and this barn wasn't in his book either. (I have since traded messages with him and since his book was published, he had learned of this one.) I have now visited this barn twice, once on a sunny day and once on a cloudy day. Either way, the words SEE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CITY are very faded, but one verion might be easier to read than the other This brings my total to 77 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map. Update: As of 2022, this barn is now gone.
Very faded rock city barn (Sunny Version) Several months ago, I got an email from someone that enjoys looking at my photos. He asked if I'd ever photographed both of those Rock City barns south of Murfreesboro on US41. Whenever I'm driving the back roads, I usually keep my eyes peeled, especially on those roads that lead to Chattanooga. Now, one of those barns I was very familiar with. But I was told there were two of them. Through further correspondence he gave me the description. Now, I've driven a couple of states away in search for these remaining barns. Thus, to be told there's one in my own county and I've driven past it several times - I can't come up with the words to describe it. Well, I found it. But then, as it turns out, since I had my eyes super-extra focused on every barn between here and there, I found even another one, seen here. The guy who emailed me never saw it. And, all of the resources online that I like to check, none of them had it either. The master of these barns is probably David Jenkins, the author/photographer of the 1996 book on Rock City barns, and this barn wasn't in his book either. (I have since traded messages with him and since his book was published, he had learned of this one.) I have now visited this barn twice, once on a sunny day and once on a cloudy day. Either way, the words SEE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CITY are very faded, but one verion might be easier to read than the other This brings my total to 77 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See 7 States from Rock City Here is an easily missed Rock City Barn located in Hawkins County just outside of Rogersville, TN. The barn used to be seen by southbound travelers along US11W, but now the two lane divided highway passes to the side of town. I have photographed this barn on two separate occasions and each time I missed the turn for main street because there was no sign, so I had to u-turn to get back to it. This barn with its imposing silo belongs to the Kersey family. This brings my total to 79 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map. Note: As of 2024, this barn has collapsed.
See 7 States from Rock City Update: This photo has been Explored, peaking at #387. Thanks, everybody! Here is an easily missed Rock City Barn located in Hawkins County just outside of Rogersville, TN. The barn used to be seen by southbound travelers along US11W, but now the two lane divided highway passes to the side of town. I have photographed this barn on two separate occasions and each time I missed the turn for main street because there was no sign, so I had to u-turn to get back to it. This barn with its imposing silo belongs to the Kersey family. This brings my total to 79 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map. Note: As of 2024, this barn has collapsed.
See Rock City Closeup (and a Bit of Snow) A small snowstorm rolled through the midstate late on Thursday (1/31/13). Since I was in the area, I decided to check out the closest actively maintained Rock City barn to where I live. This barn is seen along US41A This brings my total to 79 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Rock City (and a Bit of Snow) A small snowstorm rolled through the midstate late on Thursday (1/31/13). Since I was in the area, I decided to check out the closest actively maintained Rock City barn to where I live. This barn is seen along US41A in Rutherford County south of Eagleville. This brings my total to 79 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
When You See ROCK CITY... You See The Best! Although not a barn, this building which looks like it was a general store many years ago was painted as if it was one of Rock City's barns. It's located in the small community of Topton, NC which is in the far northeast corner of Cherokee County near when highways US19 and US74 join up with US129. This brings my total to 80 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
When You See ROCK CITY... You See The Best! It may be tough to see at first but those are the words once painted along this roof. Although not a barn, this building which looks like it was a general store many years ago was painted as if it was one of Rock City's barns. It's located in the small community of Topton, NC which is in the far northeast corner of Cherokee County near when highways US19 and US74 join up with US129. This brings my total to 80 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Rock City Barn - Spencer, TN This barn is located on the east side of Spencer in Van Buren County along highway TN30 close to the TN111 intersection. You can take my word for it, or pull up the original size and try to see some of the very very faded letters for yourself. SEE 7 STATES from ROCK CITY This is one of 80 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
In the news: Ben Morris's See Rock City Barn Before I say anything else, I'd like to thank my brother and Sister-in-law Scott and Sherry for letting me upload their pictures of the barn. Due to the time-sensative nature of the story, I am not able to get there quick enough. Fortunately, they live close enough to get there while the story is still relevant. I do hope to visit this on my onw in the upcoming weeks. A couple of years back, Ben Morris bought some farm land located along the old highway along the south side of Cumming, GA in Forsyth County. Part of the property included an old rusty and worn barn dating back to the 1930's. Mr. Morris hired a handyman to fix up the barn and while work was done on the metal roof, the handyman noticed the very faded message found on many old barns along the old roads from a bygone era: See Rock City. The Metal Roof was Repainted and restored as close to the original as possible. While it must be great to discover you own a piece of Americana, at least one person had a problem with it. As it turns out, Forsyth County now has a regulation prohibiting rooftop advertisements and Mr. Morris received a citation in the mail. In theory, if the ad is older than the law, then the barn should be grandfathered in and the Rock City message would stay. The county's Director of Planning and Development looked at an older aerial photo of the barn and found the roof as rusty as the day Mr. Morris bought the barn. He was told he had to paint over the advertisement or the ordinance would dictate a fine of $1,000 and possible jail time. Mr. Morris has been rallying the locals to help preserve the barn's historic heritage. He would be willing to pay the fine to keep the lettering intact, but before he gets to that he'll fight the county over the issue. On his behalf, he got a letter from a code enforcement officer who remembers the Rock City ad being there from many years ago. According to various reports, Mr. Morris has his day in court today, April 18. Still, there is good news, and the tide is turning. Hundreds (if not thousands) of people have written to support the barn. County commissioners are thinking about removing or changing the law, so that this barn can stay as it is today. On a state level, the GA Senate passed a law unanimously which allows old barns such as this one with ads for Georgia tourist destinations or products to be preserved. Who knew an old nostalgic barn on the Old Atlanta Highway (State Route GA 9) could garner so much attention? Here's the location on a Google Map: goo.gl/maps/1cojO
In the news: Ben Morris's See Rock City Barn Before I say anything else, I'd like to thank my brother and Sister-in-law Scott and Sherry for letting me upload their pictures of the barn. Due to the time-sensitive nature of the story, I am not able to get there quick enough. Fortunately, they live close enough to get there while the story is still relevant. I do hope to visit this on my own in the upcoming weeks. A couple of years back, Ben Morris bought some farm land located along the old highway along the south side of Cumming, GA in Forsyth County. Part of the property included an old rusty and worn barn dating back to the 1930's. Mr. Morris hired a handyman to fix up the barn and while work was done on the metal roof, the handyman noticed the very faded message found on many old barns along the old roads from a bygone era: See Rock City. The Metal Roof was Repainted and restored as close to the original as possible. While it must be great to discover you own a piece of Americana, at least one person had a problem with it. As it turns out, Forsyth County now has a regulation prohibiting rooftop advertisements and Mr. Morris received a citation in the mail. In theory, if the ad is older than the law, then the barn should be grandfathered in and the Rock City message would stay. The county's Director of Planning and Development looked at an older aerial photo of the barn and found the roof as rusty as the day Mr. Morris bought the barn. He was told he had to paint over the advertisement or the ordinance would dictate a fine of $1,000 and possible jail time. Mr. Morris has been rallying the locals to help preserve the barn's historic heritage. He would be willing to pay the fine to keep the lettering intact, but before he gets to that he'll fight the county over the issue. On his behalf, he got a letter from a code enforcement officer who remembers the Rock City ad being there from many years ago. According to various reports, Mr. Morris has his day in court today, April 18. Still, there is good news, and the tide is turning. Hundreds (if not thousands) of people have written to support the barn. County commissioners are thinking about removing or changing the law, so that this barn can stay as it is today. On a state level, the GA Senate passed a law unanimously which allows old barns such as this one with ads for Georgia tourist destinations or products to be preserved. Who knew an old nostalgic barn on the Old Atlanta Highway (State Route GA 9) could garner so much attention? Here's the location on a Google Map: goo.gl/maps/1cojO
Faded SEE ROCK CITY barn It's so faded that I had to do a double take to see it myself. the letters are on the left half of the upper portion of the roof. The top line is SEE BEAUTIFUL the next line is a larger ROCK CITY and the last line is ATOP LOOKOUT MT CHATT. TENN. You might need to look at the picture full size to see any of these words. This barn is visible to eastbound traffic along highway 30 between McMinnville and Spencer. See it on a map here: maps.google.com/maps?q=spencer,+tn&ll=35.734323,-85.5... This is my second visit to this barn and one of 80 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
We've Seen ROCK CITY As someone who loves the Rock City barns dotted across the highway landscape, I was thrilled when I found out they added another Rock City barn, and this one is actually inside Rock City. It may not be your typical See Rock City message, since this one says you've already Seen it, but I'll count it among my list. This is now one of 81 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Published Photos #24 My photos have been published for the 24th time. This time, 4 of my photos appear in the most recent issue of Alabama Living magazine. This is the May 2013 issue (Vol. 66 No. 5) on Pages 3 for the Table of Contents and for the pages shown here 26-28. The article is "Rock City Barns rock on" by Jim Winnerman. I spoke with him a few months ago and he quotes me in the article on the middle page in the last two paragraphs under the section "Barns favorite topic for professional photographers." I am not sure how long thiese links will be valid, but you can read the article here: www.alabamaliving.coop/index.php/see-rock-city/ and you can read the enitre issue here: issuu.com/nationalcountrymarket/docs/statewide_dmmay13?mo...
See Rock City: Turn Right on US64 TURN RIGHT ON US64 ROCK CITY GARDENS ATOP LOOKOUT MTN. This old Rock City barn with the paint-chipping roof is located along US411 south of Madisonville, TN about halfway to Englewood. It's facing southbound traffic where you'll see it on the left (east) side of the street. From here, US64 is about 30 miles away and that highway will take you all the way to Chattanooga. If you were to stay on the route they suggest, you'd be about two hours away, although if Rock City was your destination, you could save half an hour by taking the Interstate. This is now one of 82 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
www.seerockcity.com I love how this self-made "old Timey" photo came out, partially because it makes for a good anachronism. In this version, I really upped the brightness, because I think that makes the paint job look fresh. In my other photo, you can tell where some of the paint has started to wear off, especially on the Y. Most vintage Rock City barn photos in the 40's show the barn just after it was painted. Clark Byers would take a photo of his freshly painted barn and send it to the Carter's, original owners of Rock City, as proof of the job. If Rock City or Painted advertising barns in general interest you, I reccomend you check out my blog HERE. Or, you can read the post about this specific barn HERE.
Flickr Cover Photo Here is an important note for those of you (who like me) wish to photograph as many Rock City Barns as possible before they become a thing of the past. This barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Sequoyah Caverns is linked to Rock City as Clark Byers, the famous Rock City barn painter, first opened Sequoyah Caverns commercially and painted a few barns for them as well. Sequoyah Caverns is closing very soon! Labor Day 2013 will be the last day they're open. More Details can be found here. Before I took my cave tour, I had a chance to speak with the owner, and I mentioned I was first attracted to Sequoyah Caverns because of the Rock City Barn connection. He mentioned that after Sequoyah Caverns closes, this barn would be dismantled! Who knows how much time you've got if you want to see this one and can make the drive to Northeast Alabama. (In my case, it was my third visit.) After my cave tour, I made sure to see how many different interesting angles I could find for this barn. In one regard, I don't blame him - for his whole life, tourists have been crawling over the family's land. That's the tradeoff for making money in the tourism industry. Well, in a couple of weeks, the family wants to go back to the quiet way of life, and they probably don't want people like me coming back over and over. Besides, the barn has suffered tornado damage. I suggested he could probably find a buyer for it, especially if they were just going to discard the pieces. In retrospect, I should have offered to buy a piece of the roof.
Self-Portrait and Rock City Barn Here is an important note for those of you (who like me) wish to photograph as many Rock City Barns as possible before they become a thing of the past. This barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Sequoyah Caverns is linked to Rock City as Clark Byers, the famous Rock City barn painter, first opened Sequoyah Caverns commercially and painted a few barns for them as well. Sequoyah Caverns is closing very soon! Labor Day 2013 will be the last day they're open. More Details can be found here. Before I took my cave tour, I had a chance to speak with the owner, and I mentioned I was first attracted to Sequoyah Caverns because of the Rock City Barn connection. He mentioned that after Sequoyah Caverns closes, this barn would be dismantled! Who knows how much time you've got if you want to see this one and can make the drive to Northeast Alabama. (In my case, it was my third visit.) After my cave tour, I made sure to see how many different interesting angles I could find for this barn. In one regard, I don't blame him - for his whole life, tourists have been crawling over the family's land. That's the tradeoff for making money in the tourism industry. Well, in a couple of weeks, the family wants to go back to the quiet way of life, and they probably don't want people like me coming back over and over. Besides, the barn has suffered tornado damage. I suggested he could probably find a buyer for it, especially if they were just going to discard the pieces. In retrospect, I should have offered to buy a piece of the roof.
Honeysuckle and a Rock City Barn Here is an important note for those of you (who like me) wish to photograph as many Rock City Barns as possible before they become a thing of the past. This barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Sequoyah Caverns is linked to Rock City as Clark Byers, the famous Rock City barn painter, first opened Sequoyah Caverns commercially and painted a few barns for them as well. Sequoyah Caverns is closing very soon! Labor Day 2013 will be the last day they're open. More Details can be found here. Before I took my cave tour, I had a chance to speak with the owner, and I mentioned I was first attracted to Sequoyah Caverns because of the Rock City Barn connection. He mentioned that after Sequoyah Caverns closes, this barn would be dismantled! Who knows how much time you've got if you want to see this one and can make the drive to Northeast Alabama. (In my case, it was my third visit.) After my cave tour, I made sure to see how many different interesting angles I could find for this barn. In one regard, I don't blame him - for his whole life, tourists have been crawling over the family's land. That's the tradeoff for making money in the tourism industry. Well, in a couple of weeks, the family wants to go back to the quiet way of life, and they probably don't want people like me coming back over and over. Besides, the barn has suffered tornado damage. I suggested he could probably find a buyer for it, especially if they were just going to discard the pieces. In retrospect, I should have offered to buy a piece of the roof.
Rock City Barn through a Decaying Fence Here is an important note for those of you (who like me) wish to photograph as many Rock City Barns as possible before they become a thing of the past. This barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Sequoyah Caverns is linked to Rock City as Clark Byers, the famous Rock City barn painter, first opened Sequoyah Caverns commercially and painted a few barns for them as well. Sequoyah Caverns is closing very soon! Labor Day 2013 will be the last day they're open. More Details can be found here. Before I took my cave tour, I had a chance to speak with the owner, and I mentioned I was first attracted to Sequoyah Caverns because of the Rock City Barn connection. He mentioned that after Sequoyah Caverns closes, this barn would be dismantled! Who knows how much time you've got if you want to see this one and can make the drive to Northeast Alabama. (In my case, it was my third visit.) After my cave tour, I made sure to see how many different interesting angles I could find for this barn. In one regard, I don't blame him - for his whole life, tourists have been crawling over the family's land. That's the tradeoff for making money in the tourism industry. Well, in a couple of weeks, the family wants to go back to the quiet way of life, and they probably don't want people like me coming back over and over. Besides, the barn has suffered tornado damage. I suggested he could probably find a buyer for it, especially if they were just going to discard the pieces. In retrospect, I should have offered to buy a piece of the roof.
Barbed Wire and Rock City Barn Here is an important note for those of you (who like me) wish to photograph as many Rock City Barns as possible before they become a thing of the past. This barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Sequoyah Caverns is linked to Rock City as Clark Byers, the famous Rock City barn painter, first opened Sequoyah Caverns commercially and painted a few barns for them as well. Sequoyah Caverns is closing very soon! Labor Day 2013 will be the last day they're open. More Details can be found here. Before I took my cave tour, I had a chance to speak with the owner, and I mentioned I was first attracted to Sequoyah Caverns because of the Rock City Barn connection. He mentioned that after Sequoyah Caverns closes, this barn would be dismantled! Who knows how much time you've got if you want to see this one and can make the drive to Northeast Alabama. (In my case, it was my third visit.) After my cave tour, I made sure to see how many different interesting angles I could find for this barn. In one regard, I don't blame him - for his whole life, tourists have been crawling over the family's land. That's the tradeoff for making money in the tourism industry. Well, in a couple of weeks, the family wants to go back to the quiet way of life, and they probably don't want people like me coming back over and over. Besides, the barn has suffered tornado damage. I suggested he could probably find a buyer for it, especially if they were just going to discard the pieces. In retrospect, I should have offered to buy a piece of the roof.
Rock City Barn - Going away soon! Here is an important note for those of you (who like me) wish to photograph as many Rock City Barns as possible before they become a thing of the past. This barn is located at the entrance to Sequoyah Caverns. Sequoyah Caverns is linked to Rock City as Clark Byers, the famous Rock City barn painter, first opened Sequoyah Caverns commercially and painted a few barns for them as well. Sequoyah Caverns is closing very soon! Labor Day 2013 will be the last day they're open. More Details can be found here. Before I took my cave tour, I had a chance to speak with the owner, and I mentioned I was first attracted to Sequoyah Caverns because of the Rock City Barn connection. He mentioned that after Sequoyah Caverns closes, this barn would be dismantled! Who knows how much time you've got if you want to see this one and can make the drive to Northeast Alabama. (In my case, it was my third visit.) After my cave tour, I made sure to see how many different interesting angles I could find for this barn. In one regard, I don't blame him - for his whole life, tourists have been crawling over the family's land. That's the tradeoff for making money in the tourism industry. Well, in a couple of weeks, the family wants to go back to the quiet way of life, and they probably don't want people like me coming back over and over. Besides, the barn has suffered tornado damage. I suggested he could probably find a buyer for it, especially if they were just going to discard the pieces. In retrospect, I should have offered to buy a piece of the roof.
See Beautiful Rock City This beautiful Rock City barn has been well maintained, and the farm is for sale so it can be your for the right price. This barn is located on state highway KY91 about halfway between Princeton and Hopkinsville, KY. It's in Christian County, but it's just about a mile from the Caldwell County line. This is now one of 83 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
The "See Rock City" barn you can see from Rock City When I started my quest to take photos of Rock City barns, it began with the one you can see from Rock City from the see 7 states overlook. The people at Rock City own this farmland below and it is part of their Enchanted Maize at Blowing Spring. I believe this is a unique design for the Rock City Barn painters, the only one to be painted like a birdhouse, their other major form of advertising. Originally, the barn was built in 1948 by Gene Tibbs at his farm in Dalton, GA. In the 60's, Clark Byers painted the barn to be visible to motorists travelling along I-75. Whitfield County named the barn a historic site in the 80's but an expansion project by the Central Church of Christ in Dalton meant the barn was in danger of being torn down. A collaborative effort between the people at Rock City , the Tibbs Family, the church and a business that specializes in relocating historic log houses enabled the barn to be where it is today. This is now one of 83 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Beautiful Rock City Near Chattanooga, Tenn. Here is a tough to get to Rock City Barn that is not recommended, but there's no other real way to go see it. This barn is located off of Interstate 40 at exit 356. Specifically, for the people in Roane County travelling northbound on TN326 / TN58, this barn is located just off of the eastbound on-ramp to I-40. When I first learned of this barn several years ago, I took that on-ramp only to find that you can just barely see the barn through the trees. On this particular day near the end of fall after the leaves have fallen off, it's a little bit easier to see, but not really. I parked on the shoulder of the on-ramp to try to get a closer look on foot. As it turns out, there was a well-established path through the overgrowth to get a closer look. (I had no idea there were so many of us wanting to photograph this barn!) At the time, the entire property looked desolate with no signs of anyone living there and a for sale sign in front of the house. If I thought someone actively lived here, I wouldn't have tried it and would have sat in the car pouting like my previous occasion where I tried to see it through the trees. This barn has a bonus challenge for anyone reading this who might be extra daring. The other side is also painted with the message "See Rock City Today." I wasn't particularly keen on weed-whacking to get to the other side, but maybe you'd like to try it. To me, the weird thing is I'm not sure how many people have ever seen the other side. The line of trees makes it virtually impossible today. With the angle of the barn, it would have been awfully difficult to see from the westbound traffic on I-40 or the on-ramp with your head turned around. See it on a google map here: goo.gl/maps/dYx17 This is now one of 83 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See 7 States from ROCK CITY atop Lookout Mt. It wasn't too long ago that this Rock City barn was in much better shape. Here is an older photo of the same barn. If you compare the modern picture with the one on the link, you'll see how small trees are growing in front of this barn and the barn is just in worse shape now. The barn is visible to southbound traffic along highway KY91 about 5 miles north of Princeton, KY in Caldwell County. See it on a map here: goo.gl/maps/NAAZr This is now one of 84 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Stay on --> TN58 and see Beautiful Rock City In Tennessee, State highway TN58 passes through Kingston and Decatur before reaching Chattanooga on the east side of the Tennessee River. Once in Chattanooga, TN58 snakes all around the city and is actually quite tough to stay on. Once you make it to St. Elmo, TN58 ascends Lookout Mountain via the Ochs highway and you're practically at Rock City. This barn is located just inside the Hamilton County line, just a few miles north of Harrison. This is now one of 84 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Rock City Today Originally known as the Tennessee Road, US411 was the highway used from Northwest Georgia to reach the Smokey Mountains. This Rock City barn in a cornfield is seen by northbound travelers in Bartow County along this highway. This is now one of 85 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Rock City barn mystery (wide view) As I travel the southern backroads, I look for all the See Rock City barns I can find. Thanks to some resources like the David Jenkins book or relevant internet pages, I usually know where I can find them. Thus it's rare for me to spot one without knowing it would be there before I left home. This one is an exception. If you can't read the roof, it says "Rock City is Beautiful Beyond Belief." Of course, you can't read that because half of the roof is missing. Specifically, the left half is missing. Since the right half is there, it's on the left side. Somewhere over the years, something has moved. So, what happened? I suppose one possibility is the roof of this business was painted for Rock City. (It wasn't always just barns!) Then, the left half got damaged and they moved the right side over to make it easier to see. I doubt it for a couple of reasons. 1) the spout on the right. 2) originally the roof had an angle on it, which you can see if you look at the top of the front. If it wasn't that, then the next most likely scenario is: There was another Rock City barn in the area that was torn down. Then, half of the roof was salvageable and was relocated here. Until the roof gets moved again, you can see this along US70A in Carroll County, TN. It's located a mile or two to the west of Huntingdon and is visible to eastbound traffic. I guess there's no reason not to add this to my tally. This is now one of 86 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Rock City barn mystery As I travel the southern backroads, I look for all the See Rock City barns I can find. Thanks to some resources like the David Jenkins book or relevant internet pages, I usually know where I can find them. Thus it's rare for me to spot one without knowing it would be there before I left home. This one is an exception. If you can't read the roof, it says "Rock City is Beautiful Beyond Belief." Of course, you can't read that because half of the roof is missing. Specifically, the left half is missing. Since the right half is there, it's on the left side. Somewhere over the years, something has moved. So, what happened? I suppose one possibility is the roof of this business was painted for Rock City. (It wasn't always just barns!) Then, the left half got damaged and they moved the right side over to make it easier to see. I doubt it for a couple of reasons. 1) the spout on the right. 2) originally the roof had an angle on it, which you can see if you look at the top of the front. If it wasn't that, then the next most likely scenario is: There was another Rock City barn in the area that was torn down. Then, half of the roof was salvageable and was relocated here. Until the roof gets moved again, you can see this along US70A in Carroll County, TN. It's located a mile or two to the west of Huntingdon and is visible to eastbound traffic. I guess there's no reason not to add this to my tally. This is now one of 86 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Rock City Painted as part of Rock City's barn painting advertising program, this building is along highway US27 north of LaFayette, GA. You can't really tell now, but it's not actually a barn, but instead is an abandoned auto mechanic shop. Although I just recently visited this barn for the first time, I learned about it several years ago when the owner tried to revive the business and Rock City repainted the roof. I guess it didn't work out. Here is a photo of the repaint: www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2013/mar/05/georg... Here is a Google Map view from 2008: goo.gl/maps/e64BMcyPJSk This is now one of 87 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See Rock City - World's 8th Wonder This Rock City barn is the only one I am familiar with atop Lookout Mountain. It's located along AL176 (Little River Canyon Parkway) and is south of Little River Canyon park in DeKalb Co., AL. It's also a dual-sided Rock City barn. Here is a picture of the other side: flic.kr/p/GL4rE This is now one of 87 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
See 7 States from Rock City Here is a tough to find Rock City Barn in Clark County, IN near Perry Crossing. The barn is along Perry Crossing Rd. where Interstate 65 and US 31 are about 500 ft. apart. However, with the trees you may not be able to spot it from either highway. It's closer to I-65 but the painted side of the barn faces traffic going away. Here is a Google Street view. This is now one of 88 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.
Collapsed Rock City Barn People who have viewed my photostream for a long time will see that I've photographed many Rock City barns over the years. It was my first photographic interest. I haven't found as many lately as I have to venture further from home to find them now. When I started to look for them, this one was one of the most photographed barns that I would see. This is located in Chambersburg, Indiana, just east of Paoli along US150. I already knew it had collapsed, but I wanted to see it anyway. Here's a Google street view from 2012 to show what it looked like then: Street View. The leading authority on Rock City Barns is photographer David B. Jenkins who published a coffee table book of the photos in 1996. Eight years later, I bought that book at the Rock City gift shop, and my new hobby was born. Fast forward a few years, and I've had a chance to talk to David a few times. Recently, he told me this was the first Rock City barn he ever photographed.
See 7 States from Rock City See 7 States from ROCK CITY atop Lookout Mt near Chattanooga This fading barn is located along US150 in Washington County, IN. This is now one of 89 Rock City barns I've photographed and uploaded onto flickr.
Mostly Obscured Rock City Barn Here's a Rock City Barn that not too many people know about. Of course, most people don't know about it because you can't see it. Not only are there a couple of trees in front of it, but the roof is also one of the lowest angles I've ever seen on an ad barn. A better view is available on Google Maps Street View because they went in the winter and have a higher view: www.google.com/maps/@31.3836349,-87.022075,3a,15y,357.02h... I took this photo seven years ago. I've wanted to post a photo of this barn, but I don't have any good ones. I chose this one because you can at least make out a couple of the letters. A few other Rock City Barn enthusiasts I've met on Flickr are trying to put together spreadsheets or maps to identify all of the Rock City Barns which still exist, as it seems we lose some every year. I posted this photo now to make sure people know about it. If you want to see it, go before the leaves change and bring a drone. It's on US31 in Conecuh County, AL. This is now one of 90 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See Beautiful Rock City I've been trying to organize my notes on which Rock City barns I have seen, and I found this barn which I never uploaded. I took this photo 13 years ago, but never uploaded it because the lighting was awful. According to google maps, it's still around today. www.google.com/maps/@37.0968886,-86.0091815,3a,60y,267.36... It's on highway US 31W visible to southbound traffic in Barren County between Cave City and Park City. This is now one of 91 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See 7 States from Rock City See 7 States from Rock City atop Lookout Mt. This well maintained Rock City barn is in Grainger County a couple of miles east of Rutledge along highway US11W. This visit was my third time to drive through the area and photograph this barn. However it was the first time for me to find the old highway alignment which goes on the south side of the barn.
Millions have seen Rock City, Have You? I try to photograph this barn every time I make the drive from Knoxville to Nashville - at least when my wife is driving. This time, I got some good evening sunlight. It's one of the most often seen rock city barns since it is along Interstate 40 in Roane County. This is now one of 91 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See Beautiful Rock City atop Lookout Mountain Only a small number of the barns remain which advertised Rock City, the famed tourist attraction atop Lookout Mountain. The painted part of the barn seen here was originally located along highway US31E/150 in Spencer County, KY. However, after a 2014 highway widening project meant the removal of this barn, it was preserved by the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati. Here is a newspaper article of the barn being preserved with some interesting photos: www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/10/24/rock-... Using the Google Street View history, here's where it originally was located. www.google.com/maps/@38.001264,-85.4910179,3a,75y,168.33h... Somehow, I managed to drive right past this barn in 2010 and didn't see it. I'm not sure if I should count this one or not, but for now I will. This is now one of 92 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See Beautiful Rock City I bought my first camera in 2003. Originally, I took pictures of my family, pets, and places from my childhood. It didn't take long for me to look for things to capture beyond those of personal significance. Soon afterward, I made a visit to Rock City. In the gift shop, they still had copies of David Jenkins book from 1996 as he tried to find all of the remaining Rock City advertising barns which are still out there. Now I had a mission. I wanted to do my best to duplicate this feat, although I knew this task would take a long time. Fast forward 15 years where my day job sent me on a business trip to Indianapolis for a conference. When it was over, I had a chance to take an alternate route home where I plotted some of the barns. In particular, this one is along highway US231 in Owen County north of Spencer and visible to southbound traffic. A month later, I was in the office When David Jenkins surprised me with a phone call. As these barns get town down, I'll be lucky if I can find half as many as he has. With that in mind, I did find a couple he never knew about. He called for clarification on how to find them. While I was enjoying my opportunity to talk to my original inspiration, he shared a story of how this barn in Indiana was the first he ever photographed! This is now one of 92 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
Another Rock City Barn has Crumbled Another Rock City Barn is falling apart with a partial collapse. You can see my original picture of it in the comments. This one was not well known and easily missed. I drove past it at least twice before I noticed the words painted on it. It's even located in the county where I live, so I was shocked when I originally found it. This is along highway US41 in Rutherford County on the south side of Murfreesboro. I took this picture on April 14, 2022. If you live in the area and are trying to complete a checklist of seeing all of them, go while you still can. There's no telling how much time is left. This is now one of 92 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map. Update: On April 23, 2022, Flickr User Brent Michael noted this barn is now completely gone.
See Beautiful Rock City atop LOOKOUT MT. Chattanooga Tenn This is the first Rock City Barn I've found in Illinois. (I only know of one other.) It's located along US45 in Johnson County visible to southbound traffic from Vienna. I got there when the sun was direct overhead and the lighting on the barn roof doesn't really meet my expectations, but I was on a schedule. This is now one of 93 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. I'm not sure it's possible for me to get to 100. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map. UPDATE: This one was repainted just a month after I was there!
See Rock City / Tennessee Titans Tough Barn #2 Rock City has recently repainted some barns along with a collaboration of the Tennessee Titans. I took this photo back in March but waited until the start of the NFL season. Rock City is one of the most famous companies to advertise by painting barns, but this is the first time I've seen any ad barns for a sports team. I've heard from some Rock City barn enthusiasts who don't like the new designs. I will give them a chance, although I'd also like them to try it on a new barn. This one is located on eastbound Interstate 24 about a mile past exit 155. It's at a spot where the east and west lanes split wide apart and it will be up the hill on the right. I saw it in the morning, so the sun will hit it better in the afternoon. Here is what this barn looked like 16 years ago after its last repaint: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/178743165/in/album-... Another one I photographed is nearby and also visible from Interstate 24. It's at about the same spot but on the right for westbound traffic. It's not visible at all for eastbound. I am told there is a third repainted one I haven't seen along US411 in Monroe County, TN between Madisonville and Englewood. This is now one of 93 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. I'm not sure it's possible for me to get to 100. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See Rock City / Tennessee Titans Barn #1 Rock City has recently repainted some barns along with a collaboration of the Tennessee Titans. I took this photo back in March but waited until the start of the NFL season. Rock City is one of the most famous companies to advertise by painting barns, but this is the first time I've seen any ad barns for a sports team. I've heard from some Rock City barn enthusiasts who don't like the new designs. I will give them a chance, although I'd also like them to try it on a new barn. This one is visible from westbound Interstate 24 about a mile after exit 158 in Marion County. However, you can get a better photo like this one by taking exit 158, then go west on the old highway until you can make a left on Shellmound Rd. Go in the morning for the sun to hit it like this. I am a little sad they painted over the old message which was unique for a Rock City Barn. It used to say "Goodbye and tell your friends about Rock City" since it faces travelers leaving the Chattanooga area. See the old design here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/5157879240/in/album... Another one I photographed is nearby and also visible from Interstate 24. When traveling eastbound, it's about a mile past exit 155 up the hill on the right. I am told there is a third repainted one I haven't seen along US411 in Monroe County, TN between Madisonville and Englewood. This is now one of 93 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. I'm not sure it's possible for me to get to 100. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See Rock City / Tennessee Titans Tough Barn #2 Note: I just uploaded a sun-on-the-wrong-side version of this barn on Sunday. On that day, I didn't know I'd be driving past it again three days later, but here we are... Rock City has recently repainted some barns along with a collaboration of the Tennessee Titans. I took this photo back in March but waited until the start of the NFL season. Rock City is one of the most famous companies to advertise by painting barns, but this is the first time I've seen any ad barns for a sports team. I've heard from some Rock City barn enthusiasts who don't like the new designs. I will give them a chance, although I'd also like them to try it on a new barn. This one is located on eastbound Interstate 24 about a mile past exit 155. It's at a spot where the east and west lanes split wide apart and it will be up the hill on the right. I saw it in the morning, so the sun will hit it better in the afternoon. Here is what this barn looked like 16 years ago after its last repaint: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/178743165/in/album-... Another one I photographed is nearby and also visible from Interstate 24. It's at about the same spot but on the right for westbound traffic. It's not visible at all for eastbound. I am told there is a third repainted one I haven't seen along US411 in Monroe County, TN between Madisonville and Englewood. This is now one of 93 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. I'm not sure it's possible for me to get to 100. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Map.
See 7 States from ROCK CITY barn See 7 STATES from ROCK CITY World's 8th Wonder This hard-to-see Rock City barn is in the town of Bean Station, TN in Grainger County. Originally, this would have been visible to the Lee Highway. Later, highways US11W and US25E joined near here, but now both are routed around the middle of town. The trees all around are growing and making it harder to see. You can't see it at all from Main St. This is the view from perhaps 20 years ago: web.archive.org/web/20150512181358/http://www.ohiobarns.c... This is where I took this picture in 2019: www.google.com/maps/@36.3428652,-83.2840374,3a,15y,287.35... This is now one of 94 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. I'm not sure it's possible for me to get to 100. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my flickr account, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. Check this Map of Rock City Barns page, where I have plotted each barn on a Map.
