Coca Cola
Hattiesburg, MS
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Boarded-up windows, faded brick, and layers of old Coca-Cola advertising make this one of those buildings that's hard to pass without slowing down. When this photo was taken, the old Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company looked like it had seen better days, baking in the Mississippi sun while its painted signs continued to catch the eye.

The building became the home of the Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company in 1915 after the company outgrew its original plant. During World War II, the bottling line reportedly ran around the clock to help supply nearby Camp Shelby, producing more than a million cases of Coca-Cola each year. Even after the bottling operation moved elsewhere in 1955, the familiar painted advertisements remained on the walls, creating one of the largest collections of Coca-Cola ghost signs in the state.

At the time, the old bottling plant looked forgotten, but appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes these old roadside buildings are just waiting for another chance.

UPDATE: The former bottling plant has since been restored and now serves as a private events venue, while the Coca-Cola ghost signs continue to overlook downtown Hattiesburg. 08-26

Philco Color TV
Knoxville, TN
Photo courtesy Doug Harvey

Here is an old Philco Color TV ghost sign on what's left of an old electronics warehouse in Knoxville Tn. Many thanks to Doug Harvey for info. 03-06

Not much is left of this old building, but the faded Philco Color TV lettering still refuses to disappear. Painted high on the brick wall, the advertisement is a reminder of the days when color television was exciting enough to be painted across an entire building for everyone driving by to see.

Philco was one of the biggest names in American television and radio, introducing its futuristic Predicta television in 1958 and sponsoring the popular Philco Television Playhouse during television's golden age. Years later, Philco-branded televisions were even built in nearby Greeneville, Tennessee, giving the familiar name a connection to East Tennessee that many people may not realize.

The building itself has nearly vanished, leaving the old advertisement to tell most of the story. Sometimes that's all it takes. A few faded words on a brick wall are enough to make you wonder what once stood there.

UPDATE: The current condition of the remaining wall and ghost sign could not be confirmed. 08-26

Cotton Gin
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Here is a Cotton Gin "ghost sign" on another old building. At one time Memphis was known as "King Cotton" and many of the old downtown buildings were either warehouses that stored cotton or housed cotton gins. Many thanks to Sherry McGee for info. 07-06

You don't have to look very hard to understand what built Memphis. Just find an old wall like this one. The faded Cotton Gin ghost sign is a reminder of the days when nearly everything in town seemed to revolve around cotton, from the warehouses to the railroads and the busy riverfront.

For decades, Memphis was one of the country's biggest cotton markets, earning the nickname "King Cotton." Painted advertisements like this were a common sight around warehouses and commercial buildings, promoting the machinery and businesses that kept the cotton trade moving. Today, the lettering has faded into the brick, but it's still easy to imagine when it was fresh paint catching the attention of everyone passing by.

UPDATE: The name of the business behind this particular sign has been lost, but that's part of what makes ghost signs so interesting. They leave just enough behind to make you wonder about the stories hidden beneath the paint. 08-26

International Harvester
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

The faded lettering on this old building is about all that's left to tell the story. The International Harvester ghost sign still hangs on the wall, a reminder of when one of America's biggest farm equipment companies had a major presence in Memphis. 07-06

International Harvester opened its huge Memphis Works plant in 1942, building cotton pickers, hay balers, and other equipment that found their way onto farms across the South. By the early 1980s the company was struggling, and the Memphis plant closed in 1983 as International Harvester itself began a major corporate transformation.

UPDATE: The current status of this building is unknown. 08-26

King Cotton and Jack's Food Store Building
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

This old corner building has a little bit of everything painted on its walls. The faded King Cotton lettering shares space with ghost signs for Jack's Food Store and Easy Way Food Stores, creating a layered snapshot of downtown Memphis from another era. It's the kind of wall you can study for a while and keep finding something new. 07-06

Jack's Food Store was a longtime neighborhood grocery and deli, while Easy Way Food Stores became a Memphis favorite after opening in 1932. King Cotton wasn't the name of the building at all, but the regional meat brand sold inside the store. Together, the painted advertisements tell the story of an everyday neighborhood market that served downtown shoppers for decades.

The grocery business eventually came to an end, with the downtown Easy Way location closing in 2018. The old signs, however, still give passing drivers a glimpse of what this corner looked like when groceries, sandwiches, and fresh meats brought people through the front door.

UPDATE: The building is closed, but the layered ghost signs for Jack's Food Store, Easy Way, and King Cotton still survive. 08-26

Horne Wilson
Albany, GA
Photo courtesy Lisa Pike

The faded lettering on the side of this old brick building is easy to miss if you're watching traffic instead of the rooftops. Once you spot the Horne-Wilson ghost sign, though, it's hard to look away. Painted high above the corner of North Washington Street and Roosevelt Avenue, it has been overlooking downtown Albany for decades. 09-06

Horne-Wilson was a major wholesale supplier of plumbing, heating, and electrical equipment throughout the Southeast. The Albany warehouse served contractors during the region's postwar building boom, keeping everything from pipe fittings to appliances moving through South Georgia. While the business is long gone, the painted advertisement still gives the building plenty of character.

UPDATE: The building has been repurposed, and the Horne-Wilson ghost sign still survives. 08-26

R E McDowell & Co.
Dawson, GA
Photo courtesy Lisa Pike

One of the first things you'll notice on this downtown Dawson building is the contrast between old and new. High above the wall, the faded R.E. McDowell & Co. ghost sign still advertises farming implements, while a colorful mural brings new life to the brick below. Somehow the two fit together perfectly. 09-06

R.E. McDowell & Co. supplied wagons, hay frames, and other farm equipment to growers throughout southwest Georgia during the early 1900s. Back then, businesses like this helped keep the region's farms running, and painted advertisements were an easy way to let everyone know where to find them. Today, the old warehouse has found a new purpose as the home of the Terrell County Chamber of Commerce, but the original lettering still looks down over the street.

UPDATE: The building has been preserved and repurposed, and the R.E. McDowell & Co. ghost sign still survives above the mural. 08-26

Southern Furniture
Charleston, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Walking along King Street, it's easy to get distracted by all the storefronts. Then you happen to look up and spot the faded Southern Furniture lettering still painted across the side of this old brick building. It's the kind of ghost sign that makes you stop in the middle of the sidewalk. 12-07

For years, Southern Furniture occupied this spot along Charleston's main shopping district, where businesses advertised with paint instead of plastic. The furniture store is long gone, but the old sign still looks down on King Street while shoppers pass beneath it without giving it a second glance. That's part of the fun of wandering downtown. The best sights aren't always at eye level.

The building itself has been given a new life with modern retail inside, but the old painted advertisement remains one of those little reminders of Charleston's commercial past. It's worth looking up before heading to the next block.

UPDATE: The building has been repurposed, and the Southern Furniture ghost sign still survives. 08-26