Cheerwine close-up
Salisbury, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
If you're making your way through Salisbury, this is one stop that's worth slowing down for. The ghost signs alone are enough to make you reach for a camera, and if you get thirsty afterward, you're in the perfect town to grab an ice-cold Cheerwine.
UPDATE: Here's a close-up look at the Cheerwine ghost sign in Salisbury. The sign overlooks the old and historic Salisbury train station in town. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-09
UPDATE: The historic bottling plant has been preserved and repurposed into offices and residences, while the Cheerwine ghost signs continue to overlook downtown Salisbury. 08-26
Coca-Cola "Take Along 2" Ghost Sign
Rowland, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Old painted advertisements like this are easy to drive right past if you're not paying attention. The faded Coca-Cola "Take Along 2" Ghost Sign still clings to the side of the old Ed Bridges Department Store in downtown Rowland, reminding travelers of a time when a simple wall advertisement was all it took to catch your eye. 11-10
The familiar Coca-Cola script has faded with the years, but that's part of what makes it so interesting. Ghost signs like this seem to blend into the brick until the light hits them just right, and then suddenly another piece of roadside America comes back into view.
UPDATE: The old Ed Bridges Department Store building remains vacant, and the Coca-Cola ghost sign continues to survive on its side wall. 07-26
Raylass Department Stores (Gone)
Gastonia, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here are a couple of ghost signs found in the North Carolina town of Gastonia. Back when these photos were taken in 2008, Gastonia appeared to be one of the most impoverished cities seen in North Carolina.
Today, word is the city has been transformed and restored. According to this Charlotte Observerarticle, the 1886 Craig & Wilson Carriage Co. building which housed the Raylass Department Store is being developed into The Carriage Company of condos. Not sure if these wall ghost signs still exist today.
Raylass Department Stores "everything for the entire family". Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 06-11
Raylass Department Stores (Gone)
Gastonia, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Back when downtown department stores filled entire street corners, Raylass Department Store was one of the places that drew shoppers into downtown Gastonia. The large storefront and bold marquee gave the corner plenty of personality, making it easy to picture a busy Saturday with people coming and going through the front doors.
The building itself dates back to 1899, long before Raylass arrived. It began life selling wagons, buggies, and even early automobiles before eventually becoming one of Gastonia's best-known shopping destinations. Like so many downtown department stores, it became part of the rhythm of everyday life for generations.
Today the old marquee is gone, but the building remains one of downtown Gastonia's landmarks. Restored as the Carriage Company Lofts, it still catches your eye with its handsome brickwork and reminds you that some of the best roadside discoveries aren't always the signs. Sometimes it's the buildings that have quietly watched a town grow up around them.
UPDATE: The Raylass Department Store is gone, but the historic building has been restored and repurposed as the Carriage Company Lofts. The vintage storefront marquee has been removed. 07-26
Coca Cola
Hattiesburg, MS Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf
Driving through downtown Hattiesburg, it's hard not to notice the faded Coca-Cola lettering covering the side of this old brick building. Look a little closer and you'll see more than one advertisement peeking through the years. The overlapping ghost signs have turned the wall itself into a history lesson in painted advertising.
The building was constructed in 1915 as the new home of the Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company after the original plant on Second Street became too small. For years, bottles of Coke rolled out of this very spot before the bottling operation moved on. Later, the old plant found a second life as The Bottling Company restaurant and bar, and today the building serves as a downtown music and events venue.
The businesses have changed, but the painted Coca-Cola ads remain one of the building's best features. If you're walking around downtown, they're worth looking up to find.
UPDATE: The historic bottling plant has been repurposed, and its collection of Coca-Cola ghost signs still survives. 08-26
Cheerwine close-up
Coca-Cola "Take Along 2" Ghost Sign
Raylass Department Stores (Gone)
Raylass Department Stores (Gone)
Coca Cola
