Peeler Grain and Provision Company Building
Salisbury, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Some ghost signs make you stop because there's so much to see. The faded Peeler Grain and Provision Company Building lettering shares this old Salisbury building with an equally weathered Coca-Cola advertisement, creating a wall that's worth studying before moving on. 02-08

Built in 1907, the oddly shaped building was designed to follow the curve of a nearby railroad siding where rail cars once loaded and unloaded grain and feed. It originally housed the Kluttz Grain and Provision Company before later being purchased by Lewis D. Peeler, the Salisbury businessman who introduced Cheerwine in 1917. Look closely and you'll still find pieces of old Coca-Cola slogans along with the familiar five-cent advertising.

UPDATE: The building has been preserved, and the layered Grain and Provision and Coca-Cola ghost signs still survive. 08-26

W.A. Slater Clothing Company Building
Durham, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The faded Lemon-Kola advertisement on the former W.A. Slater Clothing Company building offers something different from the usual Coke and Pepsi ghost signs. High above the downtown Durham storefronts, its lettering recalls a soft drink that disappeared while better-known competitors continued growing. It's a good reason to look beyond the shop windows. 03-08

The building's clothing-store history and soft-drink advertisement represent separate uses of the same commercial space. A merchant could conduct business inside while an outside wall promoted another company's product. Today, those overlapping identities make the building more interesting than either name alone.

UPDATE: The historic building has been repurposed, and the Lemon-Kola ghost sign survives. Its weathered lettering preserves the name of a largely forgotten beverage above Durham's changing downtown streetscape. 11-26

Historic D.G. Fox General Merchandise Building
Siler City, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Coca-Cola lettering on the old D.G. Fox building gives downtown Siler City a familiar advertising landmark. Painted across the brickwork, the sign recalls the years when a store's side wall could attract customers as effectively as its front entrance. Its weathered appearance adds another detail worth noticing along the commercial street. 03-08

D.G. Fox operated a general merchandise and produce business here by the 1890s. Such stores connected surrounding farms with town shoppers, selling supplies while handling agricultural goods. The soft-drink advertisement represents another layer of that retail history, promoting a recognizable product alongside the merchant's everyday trade.

UPDATE: The former store has found another use, while its Coca-Cola ghost sign remains visible. The surviving building and advertisement preserve a connection to Siler City's early downtown shopping district. 11-26

J.P. Mills Department Store Building
Mooresville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Coca-Cola sign on the former J.P. Mills Department Store building has company beneath its paint. Look closely and older lettering for the department store and Selz Royal Blue Shoes begins to emerge. Several advertising campaigns share the same Mooresville wall, making it particularly rewarding to study. 05-08

The Mills and Selz advertisement dates approximately between 1890 and 1920, with Coca-Cola painted over it later. In 2019, specialists Jeremy Russell and Scott Allred worked on the layered signs as part of a downtown preservation project. Their treatment retained the aged appearance rather than making every surface look newly painted.

UPDATE: The conserved signs continue overlooking downtown Mooresville. The project received a Charlotte Preservation Award in 2020, recognizing work that preserved several generations of advertising together on the brick. 11-26

Franklin Auto
Mooresville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Franklin Auto ad is a curiosity as I have not seen such an elaborate vintage car advertisement like this anywhere else. Perhaps it was an old ghost that was restored? Franklin cars were not built in North Carolina. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

You don't expect to find an old automobile advertisement painted on a brick wall, but that's exactly what makes this Franklin Automobiles ghost sign worth a closer look. Sitting along Broad Street in downtown Mooresville, it's another reminder of the days when a painted wall could sell just about anything.

Franklin built its automobiles from 1902 until 1934 and became known for using air-cooled engines instead of the traditional radiator. The faded sign suggests that Franklin cars were once sold or serviced right here in town. Like several of Mooresville's ghost signs, it was carefully preserved in 2019, keeping its weathered appearance instead of making it look brand new.

UPDATE: The Franklin Automobiles ghost sign was preserved in 2019 and still survives. 08-26

Coca-Cola
Mooresville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Here's a Coca-Cola ad, probably restored along with that from an old Livery but the black lettering on this one seem a little suspicious as it des not appear to be of the period. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

The building itself has been given a new life, but the painted Coca-Cola advertisement remains one of its best features. Fans of the television series Banshee may even recognize the building, which was used as one of the show's filming locations thanks to its authentic historic appearance.

UPDATE: The building has been preserved, and the Coca-Cola ghost sign continues to overlook downtown Mooresville. 08-26