Ratcliffe's Flowers (Closed)
Charlotte, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The building that features this sign for Ratcliffe's Flowers is now a restaurant and is as elegant as an old movie palace inside. How this piece of Charlotte's history survived is almost shocking because there are few remnants downtown to even give you a hint that this is in fact an old city. Ratcliffe's has been encapsulated into a high rise... yup it is surrounded on top and on both sides by a modern building, meaning someone put a lot of effort into saving it. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-08
Louis Ratcliffe established his floral business in 1917 and moved into the distinctive William Peeps-designed shop in 1929. The Mediterranean Revival building brought decorative detail to South Tryon Street, while the neon announced the business outside. Local accounts say Ratcliffe resisted removing his sign during a 1950s campaign to modernize the street's appearance.
Ratcliffe's Flowers (Closed)
Charlotte, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The flower shop left the building in 1989, but preservation kept the property from disappearing. During redevelopment in 2000, the approximately 650-ton structure was moved north along the block. Its sign remained near the original location, creating the unusual situation of a preserved business advertisement separated from the building it once identified.
UPDATE: Both the relocated shop and the Ratcliffe's Flowers sign survive near The Green. The floral business is gone, but its architectural and neon landmarks remain visible reminders of an earlier Charlotte streetscape, preserved amid the taller buildings that now surround them. 11-26
H&C Coffee
Roanoke, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
The &C Coffee sign offered downtown Roanoke a cup that never seemed to run dry. Its animated lighting made coffee appear to pour from a giant pot into the waiting cup below, turning a familiar morning ritual into a rooftop advertisement. Watching the sequence was almost enough to make you look for the nearest coffee counter. 08-08
The company began in 1927 with brothers Harold and Clarence Woods. Its landmark sign appeared during the 1940s, reflecting an era when businesses used enormous illuminated displays to compete for attention above downtown streets. The pouring effect gave H&C something more memorable than a company name outlined in lights.
H&C Coffee
Roanoke, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
The sign survived the loss of its original setting and moved again following a major restoration in 2005. Together with the nearby Dr Pepper advertisement, it became part of Roanoke's distinctive nighttime skyline. Keeping such a large animated display working, however, required repeated attention to its lighting, electrical equipment, and exposed supporting structure.
UPDATE: The sign is currently dark. In October 2026, the Historical Society of Western Virginia launched a $430,000 restoration campaign, with plans to repair the supports and replace the neon with LED lighting. Organizers hope to relight it for H&C Coffee's centennial in 2027. 11-26
Dr Pepper
Roanoke, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
Here's another sign that helps light up the downtown Roanoke skyline. This giant Dr Pepper bottle cap is covered with lights and features the familiar old 10-2-4 clock numbers. When the whole thing is lit up at night, it's pretty hard to miss. 08-08
Dating to the 1940s, the roughly thirty-foot-wide display became a fitting landmark for a city known for its enthusiasm for Dr Pepper. Roanoke earned the “Dr Pepper Capital of the World” nickname during the late 1950s. Community fundraising helped restore the weathered sign, which was relit in December 2005.
UPDATE: The bottle-cap sign remains above downtown near the H&C Coffee display. Together, the preserved advertisements recall the years when illuminated product signs helped define Roanoke's nighttime appearance. 11-26
Beaman Pontiac
Nashville, TN Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
The towering Beaman Pontiac sign turned Nashville's Broadway dealership into a nighttime landmark. Vertical PONTIAC letters, bright neon, and the brand's red profile emblem supplied enough advertising to compete with almost anything along the road. It was the kind of display worth admiring even when a new car wasn't on the shopping list. 04-09
Built in 1958, the sign served through decades of automobile sales before its removal in 2011. A newly made Beaman Motor Co. version followed, borrowing the original's tall outline while advertising the broader dealership business. Fortunately, the Pontiac sign itself escaped disposal and was donated to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati.
UPDATE: Beaman relocated to Antioch in 2023, and the former Broadway dealership was demolished for redevelopment. The original Pontiac sign survives in museum ownership, preserving its history beyond the loss of the Nashville car lot. 11-26
Beaman Pontiac
Nashville, TN Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
Beaman Pontiac sign close up
Nashville, TN Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
Ratcliffe's Flowers (Closed)
Ratcliffe's Flowers (Closed)
