Advertising Barn - DeKalb County, AL As someone who looks for old fashioned advertisement painted on a barn, there seem to be a higher concentration of them in DeKalb County, AL than anywhere else I've been. This one was located on highway AL89 south of Desoto Falls State Park and advertises a local real estate company. In my pictures, there ads on both sides but one side is quite faded. These pictures were taken in 2013. While I could find this using Google Street View, the barn is still there but the ads are gone and it doesn't look much like this today. (Even the classic car is different.) Street View: www.google.com/maps/@34.4763089,-85.6292391,3a,75y,346.7h... At the time of the photo, you can see different layers of ads. At the top, with Real Estate Loan Specialist, is the name Eva purposefully painted over. Just like the other side, there's a large portrait of an Agent, but the top half has come loose.
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.
Schmitt Furniture neon sign - New Albany, IN This photo of the Schmitt Furniture neon sign was taken May 2018. According to google street view, it was removed by Sept. 2018. This side of the building faces state street, but there is a larger sign against the building along Main St. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the New Albany Downtown Historic District. Here are the notes from the listing: This two and a half story building has a tan brick facade with stone and pressed metal detailing, as well as decorative elements in darker brick. The State Street facade contains a three-part design on the upper floors, consisting of a central bay with four, oversized, round arched windows (now blocked, above which is a row over a row of narrow, flat headed windows unified by a decorative head). Above these is a decorative row of floral motifs. All of the large windows have surrounds of corbeled brick. Left and right of this central element are round arched windows, which run the full height of the upper part of the facade and which have round arched heads and which are enframed by brick pilasters with modified capitals with floral motifs. On the Main street facade, the three bay elements are retained by a central, round arched window with decorative surround, and two smaller flanking windows with wide, decorative lintels overtopped by individual round windows with highly decorative surrounds of floral and scrolled design. Above is a wide, projecting cornice with brackets and dentils. The lower or ground floor has been oversided with narrow limestone cladding and a wide aluminum canopy. This building also encompasses three additional buildings on the E. Main Street side: A two story building with a five bay facade, of brick, with a low side gabled roof and decorative cornice; a four bay building of the same height, with a similar roof and two Dutch gabled chimneys intact, and a smaller, four bay building with a flat parapet and round arched windows with plain, stone sills. All of these buildings are unified on the ground floor.
Confederate History of Memphis marker (now removed) This 1909 marker used to be located at Memphis Park which used to be Confederate Park. This photo was taken in 2015 and all Confederate elements from the park were removed over the next 4 years. Disclaimer: I'm not here to argue whether removing confederate items is right or wrong, but simply documenting the change.
Pagoda of Medicine - Nashville, TN In 2015, Historic Nashville Inc. listed Pagoda of Medicine on their Nashville Nine, a yearly list of endangered historic properties. Here is their write-up: historicnashvilleinc.org/nashville-9/pagoda-of-medicine/ Constructed in 1963, the Pagoda of Medicine is a Mid-Century Modern building associated with Nashville’s African-American history. Located on the former Riverside Adventist Hospital campus, the building was originally owned by Dr. Carl Ashley Dent (1914-1995), an African-American physician and missionary for the African-American Seventh-Day Adventist Church, founded in Nashville in 1883. A native of Georgia, in 1938 Dr. Dent became the first African-American offered a medical internship at Los Angeles County General Hospital. In 1940, Dr. Dent was hired as medical director of Nashville’s Riverside Sanitarium, founded in 1927 as a segregated hospital for Nashville’s African-American residents. Riverside focused on alternative therapies and became a mecca for African-American physicians, nurses, and patients from around the country. In 1963, Dr. Dent constructed the Pagoda of Medicine for his private medical practice. The building’s design is attributed to Leon Quincy Jackson (1926-1995), a notable African-American architect. A native of Wewoka, Oklahoma, Jackson earned an architecture degree from Kansas State University and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied under renowned architect Bruce Goff, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1950, Jackson became the first African-American architect to open an office in Oklahoma. Jackson moved to Nashville in 1954 to teach engineering at TSU where he established the architectural engineering program. He also operated a private architectural practice and designed private homes, health clinics, churches, civic buildings, educational facilities, and residential towers. Several of Jackson’s Mid-Century Modern landmarks in Nashville still stand. In 1984, after the retirement of Dr. Dent the Pagoda of Medicine was rehabbed for use by Dr. G.B. Alford. The Riverside Adventist Hospital campus closed in 1999 was renovated in 2002 for use as an assisted living facility. Vacant since 2008, the Pagoda of Medicine retains its original architectural integrity, but has suffered from water damage and vandalism. The building is currently owned by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. 2021 Update: This building has been torn down.
Raines Shoe Hospital Neon sign - Owensboro, KY
Ten Commandments - Memphis Park dedicated by the Memphis Jaycees, 1952 If you are a person that gets offended that the Ten Commandments are on public display at a public park, then you may also be upset that this is located at what used to be called Confederate Park (now Memphis Park) in the shadow of the Jefferson Davis statue. Update: Within 4 years of this photo being taken, all Confederate items were removed from this park. I do not know where it was relocated. Now this specific item is not Confederate, so I suppose they just removed all controversial items since they could.
House of Mayors - Murfreesboro, TN This residence at 500 N. Spring St. in Murfreesboro is usually called the "House of Mayors" as four Mayors lived here: Ingram Collier, Newton B. Collier, James H Crichlow, Jr. & N. Collier Crichlow. There is already another Collier-Crichlow house in town, so this one was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Collier-Lane-Crichlow House. The following description was taken from the brochure entitled "in the Footsteps of Notable Women; a Self-Guided Tour of Rutherford County" Built in about 1850, this house was purchased in 1858 by Jesse and Newton Collier for their widowed mother, Martha Covington Collier. Ten years later, a nephew of the Collier brothers, Ingram Collier Jr., bought the house for his sister, Martha Collier Lane, and her husband, William. Their daughter, Emily “Emma” Lane (1847–1923), kept a diary from 1864 to 1866 (now housed in the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU). Extraordinary for her insights into the war, Lane lamented that it had brought “trouble, sorrow, and desolation to the hearthstones of so many.” Emma Lane and her husband, James Crichlow, raised their family here. For a thorough description, here is the nomination form for the National Register: pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/nrhp/text/78002629.PDF 2023 update: This house is scheduled to be torn down: www.newschannel5.com/news/historic-house-of-mayors-schedu...
Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge Also known as the Lake Barkley US68 Bridge in Trigg County, KY, this was built in 1932 to cross the Cumberland River. With the building of Barkley Dam in 1966, the river became Barkley Lake, so the bridge had to be raised and extended. The main through truss is about 320 feet long and the total length is 3,104 feet. This bridge is slated for replacement so enjoy it while you can. Here is some video of the crossing the three historic bridges at Land Between the Lakes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsUjtvvqyNs Update: This bridge was demolished on April 11, 2018
The Ghost Mural - Knoxville, TN Located along the side of the McClung building is a mural easily visible from Interstate 40. There are two things painted along the side of this old warehouse near downtown, and we'll start with the less interesting part. Philco. Your better buy. Color TV, VCR & Audio. When I hear the name Philco, I think about the 1930's radio owned by my grandfather and passed down through the family. I don't know what became of Philco over the years, but this wall ad for a nearby store that sells VCRs is estimated to date back to 1986-ish. Since it's ben over 25 years, what's underneath is starting to show. Something Groovy is underneath the ad and whatever it is, it's a shame you can't see it anymore. The artwork was comissioned by the World's Fair in 1982. Completed in 1981, it was apparently inspired by the artwork of Peter Max and painted by a UT Professor and student. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a vintage pre-philco view of the mural. However, For the full story, read this recent article from Metro Pulse Magazine: www.metropulse.com/news/2013/jun/26/ghost-mural-strange-i...
Dari-Delite neon sign - Clanton, AL This is one of my not-so-good photos, yet it's a photo of an old neon sign that might not be around too much longer so I decided to upload it. This is at their older location near the central business district of Clanton, but a couple of years ago, they moved just up the road to Thorsby but didn't take their old sign with a top hat wearing rooster with them.
Oliver & Oliver Law Offices neon sign - Berea, KY Seen along US25 in Berea
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.
Vintage Firestone Neon Sign - Cleveland, TN At one time, this business must have been Roy's Alternator as that was painted over the lower part of the sign. Seen along US64 not far from the town square in Cleveland.
Mount Olivet Cemetery Chapel Every year, the Tennessee Preservation Trust creates a list known as "Ten in Tennessee" listing the top endangered historic sites in the state. As you can tell by the fence that goes around the building, the future of this chapel is in doubt. Following the footsteps of the TPT, Historic Nashville Inc. said this for their "Nashville Nine" in 2009: Mount Olivet Cemetery Chapel, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Southeast Nashville. Built in phases between the 1870s and 1940s, this Gothic Revival-style building was likely designed by Nashville architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson, best known as designer of the Ryman Auditorium. It served as the chapel and offices for the historic Mount Olivet Cemetery until it was replaced with a new facility in 1996. The brick building features a cathedral ceiling with original woodwork in the octagonal vestry, two bell towers, a built-in vault and pointed arched windows. The Tennessee Preservation Trust placed this building on its endangered properties list in 2005, the same year the entire 206-acre cemetery with its 192,000 burials was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic chapel and office is currently vacant and deteriorated. For more on the TPT: www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/ten For more on the Nashville 9: www.historicnashvilleinc.org/resources/nashville-9 For local photographers, these lists make up things you might want to go see before they are gone forever. UPDATE: This building has been destroyed by a fire. seemidtn.blogspot.com/2015/01/in-news-historic-mt-olivet-...
Southern Loans neon sign - Kingsport, TN For many years, Southern Finance & Thrift Corp. has been advertising loans for $200 and up at the downtown corner of Center and Cherokee. The sign was originally an advertisement for a different loan company, but when the sign was purchased for Southern, neon was added to the sign with their name.
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.
Marion Memorial Bridge This bridge was built in 1929 to cross the Tennessee River for a new alignment of the Dixie Highway. Originally, there were toll booths on either side but they were removed in 1947. In the mid 1960's with the building of Nickajack Dam just downstream, which formed Nickajack Lake, the water level rose. The Bridge was rehabilitated and also hydraulically lifted 21 feet so that barge traffic could still pass below. While not the Dixie Highway anymore, it did carry the Cummings Highway, which is US41, US64 and US72. After Interstate 24 was built near the same place, traffic on this bridge shrank. A friend of mine who lived in the area told me how she always hated driving across this bridge because it is narrow and you fell like you could fall off the side. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Recently, the bridge was determined by the state to be structurally deficient. A couple of months ago, on Jan. 9, 2012, the bridge was officially closed. In a couple of years, there will be a new, wider bridge at this location. For the full story, read this article: www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/28/tdot-to-close-mar...
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
Grinder's Switch Depot Grinder's Switch is a real place made famous as the hometown of fictional character Minnie Pearl. Instead of being an actual town, it was just a railroad switch. There was a depot at this switch, part of the NCStL line, and an employee there was the father of Sarah Colley Carter, the real life person behind Minnie Pearl. That original depot is long gone, but some people in Centerville want to take advantage of the Minnie Pearl heritage (just like Loretta Lynn has done in Hurricane Mills). In the 1980's, these people planned a park, and needed another depot, so they purchased this L&N depot from the tiny Dickson County town of Slayden. Additionally, they put some vintage farm equipment here, but that park never fully materialized. However, they built a nearby Ag Expo. The train tracks are right behind me here. Update: This depot is now gone.
World's Largest Guitar - Interstate View This has been several things over the years, but is currently vacant. Most recently, it was Joe Merrell's Grand Guitar Museum and Gift Shop. This spot is strategically placed where you can see it from the Interstate, I-81 from a rest area, near the TN/VA border in Bristol. The street running along the other side is US11W. The Guitar is 70 feet long and three stories high. More info: www.talentondisplay.com/grandguitar.html
Royal Cafe neon sign - Whiteville, TN Seen along Main St. in the small central business area (Business US64)
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.
Centerville, TN Masonic Lodge Neon Sign The white stone has etched on it when the building opened. It looks like 1851
World's Largest Guitar - US11W view UPDATE: This is now gone. This has been several things over the years, but is currently vacant. Most recently, it was Joe Merrell's Grand Guitar Museum and Gift Shop. This spot is strategically placed where you can see it from the Interstate, I-81, near the TN/VA border in Bristol. The street in front is US11W. The Guitar is 70 feet long and three stories high More info: www.talentondisplay.com/grandguitar.html Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/incredible-tennessee/ 11 Incredible, Almost Unbelievable Facts About Tennessee or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tennessee-wants-you-to-... 12 Things Every Tennessean Wants The Rest Of The Country To Know Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/cheap-road-trips-tn/ 10 Inexpensive Road Trip Destinations In Tennessee That Won’t Break The Bank or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/longtime-vs-newcomers-tn/ 10 Things Longtime Tennesseans Wish They Could Tell Newcomers
Old Stuckey's Billboard For someone like me who likes to Wax poetic about all sorts of vintage nostalgia from a bygone tourist era, here's one diminishing thing that luckily is still around. Stuckey's started off in Georgia by Mr. Stuckey, a Pecan farmer. During the golden age of Automobile tourism, the franchise grew to about 350 blue-roofed convenience stores mostly throughout the southeast. They were best known for their souvenirs and their candies, starting with the pecan log roll. If you're driving on I-24 from Nashville to Chattanooga, this Stuckey's is located at the last exit (US64/TN50) before the trip up the mountain to Monteagle. All the way from about Manchester to this exit, you'll see about a dozen really old decrepit billboards for the Stuckeys, advertising the pecans, ice cream, hot dogs and novelties. At least the large billboard in their parking lot is still in one piece. If you are a fan of Nashville's own Goo Goo Clusters and King Leo made by the Standard Candy Co., they also own the Stuckey's Candy Co. (However, each store is independently owned.) Note: As of 2021, this Stuckey's is out of business and this sign is gone.
Glenwood Motel neon sign Another what looks to be out-of-business mom and pop motel along an old US Highway. This one is on the west side of Fayetteville along U.S. 64. Today, the entire motel has been removed.
Old Kentucky Home Motel Bardstown is home to "My Old Kentucky Home" and this well maintained Motel is a couple of miles away on W. Stephen Foster Ave. (US 62) Although, it is really wise for a motel to have "old" in the title?
Pigeon Forge's Liberty Bell Pigeon Forge's Patriot Park is located a couple of blocks behind the Old Mill and is named after a Patriot Missile on display there. The centerpiece of the park is this huge replica Liberty Bell, which I am guessing was 20 feet tall Update: This was torn down circa 2021 to make room for the new PF Transit Center for trolley boarding.
Dairy Bar neon sign Cherokee, NC along US441
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.
Catsupfish I was going through my photo archives of things from 5 years ago and came across this which was during the place-catfish-all-around-Nashville craze. I have no idea if it's still there or not, but at the time it was in front of the Ronald McDonald (get it?) house near the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Update: I drove by this 3-30-2010 and it is now gone.
Al Gore Jr. Bridge You'd think the former Vice President would be remembered with more than just a lame bridge with a lame sign. Maybe this goes back 30 years when he was just the U.S. Congressman from this district Update: This sign is now gone.
Judy's Castle sign Bowling Green, KY along US31W Update from comments: Now gone.
JP's Fine Swine BarBQ restaurant - Woodbury, TN Town Square
Grinder's Switch Depot Grinder's Switch is a real place made famous as the hometown of fictional character Minnie Pearl. Instead of being an actual town, it was just a railroad switch. There was a depot at this switch, part of the NCStL line, and an employee there was the father of Sarah Colley Carter, the real life person behind Minnie Pearl. That original depot is long gone, but some people in Centerville want to take advantage of the Minnie Pearl heritage (just like Loretta Lynn has done in Hurricane Mills). In the 1980's, these people planned a park, and needed another depot, so they purchased this L&N depot from the tiny Dickson County town of Slayden. Additionally, they put some vintage farm equipment here, but that park never fully materialized. However, they built a nearby Ag Expo. The train tracks are right behind me here. Update: The train station here is now gone.
Welcome to Bell Buckle Old faded peeling sign remembering the steam trains that used to pass through Bell Buckle as part of the line from Nashville to Chattanooga
Hosse & Hosse Keys Neon sign in East Nashville
Dairy King sign Thompson Ln, Nashville TN As a kid, I just thought it was a cheap knock-off of Dairy Queen, but now I know better than that I Have given permission to the people at Dairy King to use my picture on their website. You can see it here: dairykingnashville.com/about
Atomic Cleaners This rusty neon sign is in Goodlettsville on highway U.S. 41/31W
Check our Prices Hand painted sign on an old car dealership along main st. in Springfield, TN
Becker's Bakery Neon sign Cakes for special occasions! I had uploaded a picture of this sign before, but this time the neon is lit up Update: I drove by this on 8/16/13 and this neon sign was replaced with a modern plastic sign. I suppose most businesses try to keep their old fashioned signs up for as long as its feasible. I'm glad that at least I got it when I did.
R.C.May Jeweler Town square - Columbia, TN Update: now gone. It was in the corner where Pucketts is now located.
Groovy 7-UP sign It's on Old Nashville Highway about half a mile north of the Stones River battlefield and just south of the Buddhist temple. The area sort of looks like it could have been a motel or apartments at one time. This is now gone.
Cal Turner's Christmas Barn Now a 11 year tradition, the Cal Turner family mount this mural on top of their 1940's barn every December. It's viewable on U.S. 31 (Franklin Road) when travelling southbound from Brentwood, TN in Williamson County. Cal Turner was the founder of Dollar General stores. For more information, read my complete thoughts of the barn on my Blog post HERE. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.homesnacks.net/41-photos-of-tennessee-that-will-make-... 41 Photos of Tennessee That Will Make You Want to Move There
Tip Thompson's Menswear - Shelbyville, TN The store looks like it had been there a long time. It also looks like although it is not out of business, it isn't open too often.
Pope's Cafe - Air Conditioned - Shelbyville, TN I hear that they have the best food in the area. Unfortunately they were not open the day I was there, nor did they have their sign on. The sign does work, based on what I have seen from other flickr users.
See Ruby Falls and Jefferson Island Salt Barn This barn along highway TN 58 in Roane County has two advertisements, one for Ruby Falls and the other for Jefferson Island Salt. This might be the best preserved Jefferson Island Salt, as they were only painted in the 50's and not many remain. See it's location on a map
See Ruby Falls
Jefferson Island Salt This might be the best preserved Jefferson Island Salt painted barn, as they were only painted in the 1950's and not many remain.
Beckers Bakery Cakes for Special Occasions. I have several friends and family members that have fond memories of the cakes they got from here. Lebanon Rd. (U.S. 70) in the Donelson area of Nashville Update: I drove by this on 8/16/13 and this neon sign was replaced with a modern plastic sign. I suppose most businesses try to keep their old fashioned signs up for as long as its feasible. I'm glad that at least I got it when I did.
Cal Turner's barn This barn is located on the family farm of Cal Turner, the deceased founder of Dollar General. This is in Brentwood, TN (Williamson County) along U.S. 31 north of Franklin. This barn is best known for the large Nativity painting which is draped on the roof every Christmastime (and preserved in storage the rest of the year.) If the family were to sell the farm, it could fetch a large amount of money being in some incredibly prime real estate area. In the background is the bottom half of the WSM 650 AM radio tower, which, when it was built in the 1930's was proclaimed as the tallest radio tower in the country. This photo once barely made it to explore, peaking at #490 This picture was used on my blog here: brentkmoore.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-stuff-for-st-patri...
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.
Gazebo at the Raccoon Mtn Alpine Lodge Near Chattanooga, TN. This was next to the mothman. This motel was torn down in 2023.
Hermitage Liquors sign Andrew Jackson would be proud. :) On Old Hickory Blvd, Lakewood, TN
Eat at Joes Note: as of 2023, this is now Barstool Nashville and the sign is gone.
B.T. Faith Pianos This is the single rustiest and crustiest neon sign I think I've ever found. 911 Church St. Nashville, TN. Update: I don't know when the sign was removed but the entire block was torn down around 2020.
Nashville Sporting Goods The Nashville Fish sign of Walter Nipper's Sporting Goods store. If you didn't notice, the A in Nashville fell off and is stuck to the S, where I made a note. I saw a picture of this sign in a book printed in 2001 and the A was in the same place. Wild speculation....98 Tornado did it? This picture was used on my blog here: brentkmoore.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-stuff-for-st-patri... And used on someone else's blog here: miniette.blogspot.com/2008/03/pack-cowboy-boots.html And then someone else's blog here: serenadeingreen.blogspot.com/2008/08/gone-not-fishin.html and someone else here: bookfool.com/blog/2009/07/14/moving-to-nashville/ or here: gregmeyer.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/on-being-out-of-office/ On being Out of Office As of 2010, this sign is gone. :(
Tennessee Electric Motor Company and there just has to be that one support wire going through the middle of it! The Company part is replacing an older word. According to their website, they've been around since 1936. Rewinding? Like what? VHS Tapes? Odometers? Sadly, this is another neon sign that is now gone, as the new Nashville convention center is going to be located where this building was. Hello to anyone who found this picture here: urbanworkbench.com/why-your-company-needs-google
Nashville's Billy Graham statue The people at Lifeway Christian built this statue of Billy Graham on their property in downtown Nashville. The funny thing is it took me an hour to find this. I knew their building was across the street from Union Station, but I guess I never realized how much property they owned. I started on Broadway and walked the length of their property across 10th avenue when I concluded it wasn't at "gulch-level." I walked up through the TSU parking lot to McLemore Ave to Church Street, and it wasn't on Church St. either. From there, I examined Lifeway Plaza, 9th, Commerce Street, and then finally its actual location on 8th. so I got a few shots of it, and then my batteries died. Update: The statue was removed in 2016 when Lifeway moved out of their downtown offices. It may have been relocated to their Conference Center in Asheville, NC.
The Rev. Billy Graham Statue preaches to the James Robertson Apartments The world-famous preacher delivers his message to the sinners at the downtown Nashville rent-controlled housing, full of its drug-dealers and prostitutes. Note: This concept would have been funnier if the Classic Cat was still open. How did a strip club ever get a license to operate on the same block as the public magnate school anyway? Update: The statue was removed in 2016 when Lifeway moved out of their downtown offices. It may have been relocated to their Conference Center in Asheville, NC.
Crown Tent and Awning Co. "Since 1923" Update: several years later, this building is gone and replaced by Brooklyn Bowl.
Berry's - your downtown Nashville pawn shop Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/27/upgrades-and-downg...
There may be cars on this street This sign is now gone as the new Sounds baseball stadium is right here.
Monteagle Motel Dreaded power lines! Upon the mountain in Monteagle. Located on U.S. Highway 41, which used to be the Dixie Highway. This photo was taken in 2006. At some point between then and 2012, the motel and the sign were taken down and this property is now a drug store.
crumbling rock city barn
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
How to get even with the Nashville Zoning Commision Considered by some to be Nashville's biggest eyesore. To see the version zoomed in on the statue, Click Here. For the complete story, read about it in my blog post. UPDATE:On Dec. 7 2021, this statue was removed by new owners of the property. With all of the controversy surrounding this statue, this photo has appeared in numerous places: Hello to anyone who found this here: i100.independent.co.uk/article/perhaps-america-should-pul... Perhaps America should pull down this stupid, racist statue as well as the Confederate flag
Topper Motel in Bowling Green, Ky On Highway US31W To those of you in Bowling Green, is this still around? I drove through here again in the Fall of 2008 and either I missed it or it's gone. Update: Yes, this hotel is now gone. It didn't occur to me at the time, but the name of the hotel plays on the WKU Hilltoppers name along with the Lincoln hat.
Crossland Motel In Bowling Green, Ky on Higway U.S. 31W To those of you in Bowling Green, is this still around? I drove through here again in the Fall of 2008 and either I missed it or it's gone.
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.
Violaters will be Cited to Court!!! Now here is a spot that you likely haven't been to. This is the sign at the entrance to the Natural Bridge Park on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. If you have driven to Point Park or Rock City, there is a good chance you have driven right by this place. Apparently, in the 1910s, this was one of the post popular places on lookout mountain, but now the overgrowth has made anyone who stumbles across it uninviting. There's also something about a cult in its history, but I don't know much about it.
Christopher Columbus Statue, Baltimore Christopher Columbus Statue. Located in downtown Baltimore halfway between the Inner Harbor and Little Italy. Text: Christopher Columbus Discoverer of America October 12 1492 Dedicated to the City of Baltimore by the Italian American Organization United of Maryland and the Italian American Community of Baltimore in Commemoration of the discovery of America Update: This statue was destroyed by rioters on July 4th, 2020. baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/07/04/video-shows-baltimore-p...
Before the Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, 2001 In case you have never seen this before, to make room for the Great American Ballpark, seating sections of the outfield were removed, offering great views of construction, the Firstar Center and the Ohio River. This April 2001 game at Cinergy Field (aka Riverfront Stadium) was between the Reds and the New York Mets
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.
