Giant Decorator Man
Raleigh, NC
Photo courtesy Jeff DeWitt
For many years there was a home improvement store on Downtown Blvd. in
Raleigh by the name of "Giant Decorator". There symbol
was the giant
man standing on the roof holding a paint roller in one hand and a bucket
in the other. Sometime in the 70's Giant Decorator closed, and the giant
disappeared. In the early 90's, while driving north of Raleigh on US 401, there was
the Giant Decorator, standing in a field without his bucket and roller,
and looking a bit worse for the wear. As of last week he is still there, looking like he got a fresh coat of
paint sometime in the last few years. The spot where he is standing is
right next to where they are building an interchange for the new I-540 (Raleigh's outer loop). With a little bit of luck he will be livening
up the landscape for many years to come. Many thanks to Jeff DeWitt for info.
He began life in 1968 on the roof of the Giant Paint and Decorator store along what is now Capital Boulevard, where he held an oversized paint can to advertise the business. When the store closed, the giant was rescued instead of being scrapped and moved to a local farm. Plans to have him hold a giant basket of produce never worked out, so he was eventually outfitted with a garden tool instead.
The old fiberglass giant has even survived a tornado that knocked his head off before it was recovered and reattached. Today he still stands watch outside Bradsher Landscape Supplies, proving that some of the best roadside attractions are the ones that refuse to disappear.
UPDATE: Giant Decorator Man continues greeting motorists from his longtime home in north Raleigh. 08-26
SJC Man (Gone)
Albany, GA Photo courtesy Lisa Pike
This SJC Man is brave enough to be decked out in Auburn University attire (Alabama) in University of GA (UGA) Bulldog country!! It originally sat at the corner of Byron Road and W. Broad Avenue in downtown Albany, GA. Many thanks to Lisa Pike for info. 09-06
Standing along North Slappey Boulevard, SJC Man was one of those oversized roadside giants that always seemed to catch your eye. Whether you were looking for him or not, the towering fiberglass figure was hard to miss. He looked right at home welcoming customers to the construction business.
SJC Man (Gone)
Albany, GA Photo courtesy Lisa Pike
The giant actually had a long career before arriving in Albany. Built in 1964 as a classic Paul Bunyan-style Muffler Man, he originally advertised tire stores around Georgia before eventually trading his paint can and lumberjack look for construction gear. By the time this photo was taken, "SJC" was proudly painted across his shirt, giving the old giant another new identity.
Like many Muffler Men, he didn't stay put forever. In 2010, SJC Man was sold and moved to Florida, ending his years as an Albany roadside landmark. Fortunately, he wasn't scrapped. He simply found another roadside home, continuing a journey that has already taken him across two states and several different businesses.
UPDATE: SJC Man no longer stands in Albany. He survives today at a commercial property in Tampa, Florida. 08-26
Pal's Burger Man
Kingsport, TN Photo courtesy Doug Harvey
Check out this shot of the Pal's Burger Man located at this hamburger stand in Kingsport, TN. The Pal's Burger has been around since 1956, and this is one of the more recent locations built. Many thanks to Doug Harveyfor info. 10-06
It's hard to drive past Pal's Sudden Service in Kingsport without noticing the giant man standing on the roof holding an oversized hamburger. He's been inviting hungry travelers inside for decades and has become one of Tennessee's classic roadside attractions.
The 23-foot fiberglass giant was added in the early 1960s at Pal's second restaurant, not long after the chain got its start. Built from the familiar Muffler Man mold, he traded the usual axe for a giant "Big Pal" burger, creating one of the more memorable fast-food mascots on the road.
Long before Pal's became famous for its blue buildings topped with giant food items, this rooftop giant was already turning heads. He's still one of the best reasons to slow down on Lynn Garden Drive.
UPDATE: The giant burger man was added to this location in 1962 according to the Pal's Sudden Service website. 07-08
UPDATE: The Burger Man continues greeting customers from the roof of Pal's in Kingsport. 08-26
Chief Saunooke's Trading Post (Gone)
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
If you drove through Cherokee years ago, chances are these giant figures caught your eye long before you reached the gift shop. Indian stood proudly beside the road surrounded by several smaller warriors, creating one of those roadside scenes that was hard to forget. 07-08
The statues stood outside Chief Saunooke's Trading Post, one of the many tourist stops that welcomed visitors headed to and from the Great Smoky Mountains. Like countless roadside businesses built during the 1950s and 1960s, the oversized figures were designed to get motorists to slow down, pull in, and have a look around. Whether they worked or not probably depended on how much room you had left in the trunk for souvenirs.
Chief Saunooke's Trading Post (Gone)
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Looking back today, the display reflects a different era of roadside America. The feathered headdresses and other details were based more on Hollywood's image of Native Americans than on Cherokee traditions. In recent years, the Cherokee community has worked to present its own history and culture more authentically, and many of these older tourist displays have quietly disappeared.
Today the trading post is gone, but for travelers who remember passing through Cherokee during its roadside heyday, these towering figures were once as much a part of the trip as the mountains themselves.
UPDATE: The old trading post has closed, and the roadside warrior statues have been removed. 08-26
The Shops at Daniel Boone (Demolished)
Hillsborough, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Traveling through Hillsborough years ago, it was hard to miss the giant Daniel Boone standing outside The Shops at Daniel Boone. The larger-than-life frontiersman welcomed travelers to one of North Carolina's more unusual roadside stops, where rustic log buildings hinted at a much bigger attraction that once stood behind them. 07-08
The site began life in 1966 as Daniel Boone Village, a frontier-themed attraction that earned the nickname "Tweetsie Railroad East." Visitors could ride a train, explore pioneer exhibits, catch live entertainment, and spend the afternoon wandering the Old West-style village. As the years passed, the amusement attractions disappeared, but the log buildings found new life as antique shops, craft stores, and small local businesses.
The giant Daniel Boone statue remained through it all, becoming a familiar landmark for anyone traveling U.S. 70 through Hillsborough. Even after the village faded, he continued standing watch over the old shopping center, giving motorists one more reason to slow down for a look.
UPDATE: The Shops at Daniel Boone and its giant frontiersman were demolished in 2022. The property has since been redeveloped for housing. 08-26
Bill's Truck Man
Lexington, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Rolling down Interstate 85 near Lexington, it's hard not to notice the giant mountain man standing outside Bill's Truck Stop. He's been welcoming truckers and road trippers for years, making this old-fashioned truck stop an easy place to spot from the highway. 07-08
Known by many as "Big Bill," the 20-foot fiberglass giant is one of the classic Muffler Men that once advertised businesses all across America. Before settling in at Bill's Truck Stop, he spent time at a couple of North Carolina service stations before finding a permanent home here overlooking the interstate.
The truck stop itself has been serving hungry travelers since 1968 and remains one of the few independently owned truck stops left along this stretch of I-85. Whether you're stopping for a meal or just stretching your legs, the giant mountain man is usually the first to welcome you.
UPDATE: Big Bill still stands watch over Bill's Truck Stop, greeting motorists along Interstate 85. 08-26
Giant Decorator Man
SJC Man (Gone)
SJC Man (Gone)
Chief Saunooke's Trading Post (Gone)
Chief Saunooke's Trading Post (Gone)
The Shops at Daniel Boone (Demolished)
