Barry's Cut Rate Drugs (Gone)
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson

There was a time when neighborhood drugstores weren't complete without a big neon sign out front. This one must have been quite a sight after dark, lighting up Milwaukee Avenue with bold lettering that was impossible to miss. The Barry's Cut Rate Drugs sign had all the character of a classic city marquee. 03-01

Barry's Cut Rate Drugs first opened here in 1946 and became a Wicker Park fixture for more than 70 years. In 1960, the familiar neon marquee was added to the building, giving the pharmacy a distinctive look that generations of Chicagoans came to recognize.

Even as the neighborhood changed around it, the old sign remained a constant. It became more than just advertising—it was part of the streetscape and one of those landmarks that let you know exactly where you were.

The pharmacy closed in 2017, ending a remarkable run that lasted more than seven decades. Fortunately, the story didn't end there. Rather than being scrapped, the historic marquee was carefully removed and preserved by a private collector, ensuring that this wonderful piece of Chicago roadside history still survives.

UPDATE: Barry's Cut Rate Drugs closed in 2017 after more than 70 years in business. The iconic 1960 neon marquee has been removed from the building but was fortunately saved and remains in a private collection. 07-26

N.H. Ballin Co. (Gone)
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

They just don't make drugstore signs like this anymore. The combination of porcelain panels and neon lettering gave this projecting sign plenty of personality, making it a familiar sight for anyone traveling along Lincoln Avenue. The N.H. Ballin Co. looked like the kind of neighborhood pharmacy that had been serving its community for generations. 03-01

For more than 67 years, the N.H. Ballin Co. was a fixture in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. As the years passed, the pharmacy adapted to changing times, expanding beyond prescriptions to offer specialized medical equipment and other healthcare services while remaining a trusted neighborhood business.

The sign was easily the star of the property. Projecting out over the sidewalk, it was exactly the kind of eye-catching landmark that gave city streets so much character. At night, the neon must have been especially impressive.

Unfortunately, the pharmacy eventually closed, and the beautiful sign disappeared with it as the building found a new life. Whether it was preserved or simply scrapped remains a mystery, but photos like this ensure it won't be forgotten.

UPDATE: The N.H. Ballin Co. pharmacy has closed, and the building has been repurposed. The classic porcelain and neon sign has been removed, and its current whereabouts are unknown. 07-26

Dan Purvis Drugs (Gone)
New Haven, IN
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

It's hard to beat an old Rexall drugstore. The familiar sign out front was enough to let everyone know they were in the right place, and that's exactly what made the Dan Purvis Drugs such a memorable stop in downtown New Haven. 12-07

Opened in the 1950s, the Dan Purvis Drugs served the community for more than 40 years. It wasn't just a place to fill prescriptions. Like so many neighborhood drugstores of the era, it featured a soda fountain where friends gathered over cherry phosphates and chocolate malts.

One interesting bit of trivia is that Dan's brother operated another Rexall drugstore just a few blocks away. It's not every day you find two brothers running competing Rexall stores in the same small town.

The pharmacy closed in 1998 as chain drugstores became more common, and the familiar Rexall sign disappeared along with it. Fortunately, photos like this help keep a little piece of New Haven's downtown history alive.

UPDATE: Dan Purvis Drugs closed in 1998, and the classic Rexall sign has been removed. Its current whereabouts are unknown. 07-26

Brown Drugs
Quincy, IN
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

There was a time when every town seemed to have a neighborhood drugstore where everyone knew your name. The Brown Drug Company is a reminder of those days, when independent pharmacies were as much a gathering place as they were a place to fill a prescription. 09-08

Founded more than 100 years ago, Brown Drug Company has been serving Quincy through generations of change. One of the biggest came in the late 1960s when a devastating downtown fire destroyed the original store and its classic sign. Fortunately, the business survived and eventually reopened nearby.

While the old marquee is gone, Brown Drug Company is still serving the community today from its current location. It's nice to see a hometown pharmacy continue where so many others have disappeared.

UPDATE: Brown Drug Company remains open in Quincy, Illinois, more than a century after it first opened. The original downtown store and its vintage sign were lost in a 1960s fire, but the business continues today from its current location. 07-26

Greenville Pharmacy (Gone)
Greenville, OH
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

Neighborhood pharmacies like this were once found in just about every downtown. With its storefront facing Broadway Street, the Greenville Pharmacy was a familiar stop for generations of local residents picking up prescriptions or everyday essentials. 09-08

The building was designed to catch the attention of pedestrians with its large display windows, giving downtown shoppers a reason to stop and look inside. It fit right in with the kind of Main Street businesses that helped define small-town America.

The pharmacy has since closed, but fortunately the building was saved. Rather than being demolished, it was carefully restored and given a new life as retail space, allowing another local business to carry on inside its historic walls.

UPDATE: Greenville Pharmacy is no longer in business. The building has been preserved and repurposed for retail use, but the original pharmacy sign has been removed. 07-26

Ranburn Rexall Drugs (Gone)
Gary, IN
Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi

You can never go wrong with an old Rexall sign. Hanging out front, it let everyone know exactly what kind of neighborhood pharmacy they were about to walk into. The Ranburn Rexall Drugs had one of those classic signs that gave the business a little extra personality. 10-08

Located on Cleveland Street, the pharmacy was part of a small neighborhood business district that also included the nearby Ranburn Cleaners. It was the kind of place where you could pick up a prescription, browse the greeting cards, or stop in for everyday essentials without leaving the neighborhood.

Like so many independent drugstores, the Ranburn Rexall Drugs eventually closed as the retail landscape changed. The familiar Rexall sign disappeared along with it, leaving only old photographs to remind us of another hometown pharmacy that once served the community.

UPDATE: Ranburn Rexall Drugs has closed, and the vintage Rexall sign has been removed from the property. Its current whereabouts are unknown. 07-26