Grand Old Hatchery
Dickson, TN
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The "Grand Ol' Hatchery"--a quaint play on Grand Ole Opry, in Dickson, TN. Novel idea, turning a feed store into a music venue. The Grand Old Hatchery is located along Main Street in Dickson.Many thanks to Tony Craig for info. 06-06

The building was constructed in 1916 and spent years as a feed store, farm supply business, and poultry hatchery before finding an entirely different purpose. In 1987 it was transformed into a live country music venue, with the name playing off both the building's hatchery past and Nashville's famous Grand Ole Opry.

Step inside on show night and you'll find bluegrass, country music, banjos, fiddles, and plenty of dancing instead of baby chicks. Over the years the Grand Old Hatchery has become a favorite gathering place for musicians and fans, proving that some old buildings are too good to retire.

UPDATE: The Grand Old Hatchery continues to host live music, dances, and community events, while the familiar painted sign still welcomes visitors to downtown Dickson. 07-26

Fifty-Fifty
Salisbury, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Fifty-Fifty store is owned by Tom Tucker in Salisbury, NC. It's called the 50/50 because the shelving units are on a center swivel and can turn around to reveal different items. Many thanks to Tony Craig for info. 06-06

The faded Coca-Cola sign on the side of the Fifty-Fifty Store is enough to make you slow down for a closer look. Sitting on a quiet corner in Salisbury, North Carolina, the little brick grocery looks like it hasn't changed much since the days when neighbors stopped by for a loaf of bread and a bottle of Coke.

The store opened in 1928 and served the neighborhood for more than fifty years before closing in 1981. Its unusual name came from a set of rotating shelves inside that could be turned around to display different merchandise.

It's another one of those old corner stores that reminds you how common places like this once were along the back roads of the South.

UPDATE: The old grocery building still stands, and the faded Coca-Cola sign remains one of its most recognizable features. 07-26

McIlhenny Company Tabasco Sauce Factory
Avery Island, LA
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Here's a shot of the Tabasco plant on Avery Island, LA. At first, this appeared to be an old industrial place and made the trek here only to find that the tours were closed that day and the building dates only to the 1970's. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-07

If you like hot sauce, Avery Island is one stop you won't want to miss. The McIlhenny Company Tabasco Sauce Factory has been producing the famous pepper sauce since 1868, and the smell of peppers and vinegar lets you know you've arrived before you even step inside.

The factory sits on Avery Island, a giant salt dome that's been part of the Tabasco story from the very beginning. Visitors can tour the plant, see the bottling operation, and learn how the pepper mash is aged for years in oak barrels before becoming the sauce that's shipped around the world.

UPDATE: The Tabasco factory continues to produce its famous pepper sauce on Avery Island and remains one of Louisiana's most popular factory tours. 07-26

Conrad & Hinkle Food Market
Lexington, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Take a walk down Main Street in Lexington and you'll probably spot the old Conrad & Hinkle Food Market before long. The vintage storefront and glowing neon sign advertising "Fresh Meats - Produce" look like they've been welcoming shoppers for generations. 12-07

The market first opened in 1919 and has remained family-owned ever since. Step inside and you'll find an old-fashioned grocery complete with a full-service butcher counter, pressed tin ceilings, and one of the area's best-known specialties, homemade pimento cheese.

It's the kind of neighborhood market that's becoming harder to find, where the building is just as much a part of the experience as the groceries inside.

UPDATE: Conrad & Hinkle Food Market is still serving downtown Lexington, and its classic neon sign continues to light up Main Street. 07-26

Foust Photo
Asheboro, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

If you're a camera buff, this old storefront is hard to pass by. Foust Photo in downtown Asheboro looks like it belongs in the days of chrome cameras, Kodachrome film, and storefront windows filled with the latest 35mm gear. The retro lettering alone is worth a second look. 12-07

The business opened in 1964 and has remained a familiar part of downtown ever since. While photography has changed from film to digital over the years, the storefront still has the same mid-century look that makes it stand out from the businesses around it.

Places like this are becoming harder to find. Once, nearly every downtown had its own neighborhood camera shop where you could buy film, pick up your prints, or spend a few minutes looking at the newest cameras in the display window.

UPDATE: Foust Photo continues to serve Asheboro as a photography and graphic design business, and the vintage storefront still looks much as it did years ago. 07-26

Main Street Soda Shop (Gone)
Hamlet, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Along Main Street in Hamlet, you'll find the appropriately named Main Street Cafe & Soda Shop. The old storefront looks right at home among the historic buildings downtown, and it's the kind of place that makes you think of burgers, milkshakes, and a seat at the soda fountain. 01-08

Hamlet grew into one of North Carolina's great railroad towns, and much of downtown still reflects that era. The soda shop fit right in, giving locals and travelers alike a place to stop before heading on down the road.

It's another reminder that some small towns still held onto their neighborhood soda shops long after they had disappeared from so many other places.

UPDATE: The Main Street Cafe & Soda Shop has since closed, and the storefront is now vacant. The familiar facade remains, waiting for its next chapter. 07-26

Castle Video Games (Demolished)
Blacksburg, SC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The cheesy fake castle you see here is at the Blacksburg exit. Apparently it once sold fireworks. Nearby were a lot of other larger fireworks places but not quite as tacky as this one. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 01-08

As you drive along Interstate 85 near Blacksburg, it was hard to miss the strange little Castle Video Games. With its stone-look walls, turrets, dragon, and knight standing guard out front, it looked more like a medieval attraction than a roadside casino.

The castle was built around 1999 during South Carolina's short-lived video poker boom. When the state outlawed the machines in 2000, the business closed almost as quickly as it had opened. For years afterward, the empty castle sat beside the interstate, becoming a favorite landmark for travelers who couldn't help but wonder what its story was.

UPDATE: After standing vacant for more than two decades, the castle was demolished in early 2024. A QuikTrip convenience store now occupies the site. 07-26