Witt and Crow Ghost Sign
AR
Photo courtesy Stewart Isbell

Some ghost signs tell more than one story. This faded Witt and Crow Ghost Sign in Little Rock still advertises the old cleaners, while a weathered Coca-Cola mural shares the same brick wall. Together they create the kind of layered roadside scene that's hard to pass without stopping for a closer look.

The years have softened the paint, but that's part of the appeal. Ghost signs like this seem to reveal a little more every time you look at them. One advertisement fades into another, giving the wall a history that couldn't be planned if someone tried.

It's the sort of discovery that makes wandering older neighborhoods worthwhile. You may be looking for one thing, then an old painted wall catches your eye and suddenly you're standing there imagining when these signs were fresh and motorists first noticed them from the street.

UPDATE: The Witt and Crow ghost sign and the adjoining Coca-Cola mural continue to survive on the old brick wall in Little Rock. 07-26

Tom Moore Cigar Ghost Sign
Hot Springs, AR
Photo courtesy Stewart Isbell

Ghost signs are always fun to find, especially when they have more than one story to tell. This faded Tom Moore Cigar Ghost Sign in downtown Hot Springs first catches your eye with the old cigar advertisement, but look a little closer and you'll notice other painted signs peeking through from underneath. It's almost like several decades of advertising are sharing the same brick wall.

For years this wall was hidden from view until the neighboring building was torn down in the 1980s. Today it's one of those discoveries that makes wandering through an older downtown worthwhile. The faded paint, worn bricks, and layers of old lettering all come together to create a scene that's impossible to duplicate.

Sometimes the best roadside finds aren't the biggest or brightest. They're the ones that have quietly survived while everything around them changed.

UPDATE: The Tom Moore Cigar ghost sign continues to survive in downtown Hot Springs, where its weathered layers still catch the eye of anyone taking the time to look up. 07-26

Bayer Pills
Savannah, GA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Got a headache? This old Bayer Pills ghost sign in downtown Savannah has been offering a cure for decades, even if it's no longer selling anything. Painted high on the side of a brick building along West Congress Street, it's one of those advertisements that catches your eye when you least expect it.

At first glance, you might think the building was once some sort of factory or warehouse for Bayer, but it was simply part of Savannah's busy commercial district. The sign was there to catch the attention of people walking and driving through downtown, and all these years later it's still doing its job.

UPDATE: The Bayer Pills ghost sign continues to survive on the building in downtown Savannah. 07-26

Belford Company Wholesale Grocers
Savannah, GA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Here's a ghost sign that is located on a building in the historic district of Savannah, GA. Belford Company Wholesale Grocers is still open, although it's been converted to a restaurant. Many thanks to Paul Bauke for info.

It's easy to get caught up in Savannah's City Market, but don't forget to look up. Painted high on the brick walls, the faded Belford Company Wholesale Grocers ghost signs are a reminder of when this part of town was filled with warehouses instead of restaurants. They're the kind of old advertisements that reward anyone who takes a slower walk through downtown.

The building dates to 1902 and later became home to Belford's wholesale grocery business. Today it's a restaurant, but the old painted signs are still part of the scene, adding another layer of history to one of Savannah's most visited streets.

UPDATE: The building has been restored as Belford's Savannah Seafood & Steaks, and the Belford Company Wholesale Grocers ghost signs remain preserved. 07-26

Germania Hall
Savannah, GA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Ghost signs always seem to have a way of pulling you in, and this old Germania Hall wall in Savannah is no exception. At first you notice the large lettering for Germania Hall, but the longer you look, the more you begin to see. Faded advertisements for Duke's Mixture Tobacco and Royal Blue Shoes slowly emerge from the brick, each one telling part of the building's story.

It's the kind of wall that rewards anyone willing to slow down for a minute. Instead of one old advertisement, you get several, layered together over decades until they become a history lesson painted right on the bricks.

Today the building has found a new purpose, but the old ghost signs still watch over West Congress Street. Sometimes the best roadside discoveries aren't polished or restored. They're the weathered reminders that have simply managed to survive.

UPDATE: The Germania Hall ghost signs continue to survive in downtown Savannah, where their faded layers remain one of the city's most interesting brick wall discoveries. 07-26

Aunt Jenny's
Biloxi, MS
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

The painted wall at Aunt Jenny's is the kind of thing that makes you slow down for a second look. It's not flashy, but the faded lettering advertising catfish fits right in with this old Mississippi Gulf Coast landmark. The sign has weathered the years almost as well as the building itself, making it an easy stop if you're passing through the Biloxi area. (Many people say Biloxi, but the restaurant actually sits just across the bay in Ocean Springs.)

The restaurant has been serving up catfish inside a beautiful antebellum home built in 1852. Huge live oaks, some said to be more than 500 years old, shade the property and make it feel a world away from the busy casino strip just a few minutes down the road. Down in the cellar is the longtime Julep Room, a music lounge that's been around for decades and was reportedly a favorite stop for Elvis Presley, who was said to have his own favorite booth.

Whether you come for the catfish or just to admire the old painted wall, this is one of those places that still feels like part of the old Gulf Coast. The sign alone is worth pulling over for.

UPDATE: Aunt Jenny's remains open in Ocean Springs, and the historic building continues serving guests beneath those towering live oaks. 08-26

White Hardware
Savannah, GA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

One look up and it's easy to spot the faded lettering still clinging to the side of this old brick building. The ghost sign for White Hardware has survived long after the business itself, quietly watching over the corner of West Congress and Whitaker Streets in downtown Savannah. It's the kind of sign that rewards anyone willing to look above the storefronts.

For years, White Hardware was one of Savannah's largest hardware suppliers, serving both homeowners and contractors. By 1940, the company had expanded into the new world of televisions and radios, becoming a regional distributor for Farnsworth products. These days the old hardware store has taken on a much different role. The building was purchased by Paula Deen and became part of her well-known Lady & Sons restaurant, but the painted advertisement remains as a reminder of an earlier chapter in the building's history.

UPDATE: The White Hardware ghost sign still survives on the historic building, now home to The Lady & Sons restaurant. 08-26

Coca Cola
Hattiesburg, MS
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Some signs don't have to be big to catch your eye. This old Coca-Cola window advertisement in Hattiesburg is a perfect example. The painted lettering has the kind of charm that makes you stop and imagine when a cold Coke cost just a nickel a glass.

Back in the early days, Coca-Cola wasn't just sold as a soft drink. It was promoted as a remedy for headaches and exhaustion, served fresh at soda fountains as something that might help you feel a little better. That famous five-cent price lasted from the late 1800s until 1959, making it one of the most recognizable bargains in American advertising. Hattiesburg has its own connection to the brand, too. The city's Coca-Cola bottling company opened in 1906 and helped keep those familiar red signs and window ads spread across southern Mississippi.

The name of the business behind this window has been lost to time, but the advertisement is enough to make you slow down. Sometimes it's the little details that make an old storefront worth remembering.

UPDATE: The current status of the building and this window advertisement could not be confirmed. 08-26