Devil-Dog Dungarees (Closed)
Zebulon, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Now here's a name made for a roadside sign. The Devil-Dog Dungarees factory in Zebulon is topped by a great old neon sign featuring the Devil-Dog name and its familiar bulldog mascot. Sitting high above East Gannon Avenue, it's been a local landmark for generations.
Devil-Dog got its start in 1948, making work clothes and blue jeans in North Carolina. The Zebulon operation became closely associated with the brand, and that big rooftop sign made sure anyone passing through town knew exactly where the dungarees came from.
For years the old neon had seen better days, but this is one roadside story with a happier update. As part of Devil-Dog's 75th anniversary celebration in 2023, the landmark sign was restored and lit up once again.
The old factory has since changed hands, but the Devil-Dog name hasn't disappeared from Zebulon. In fact, the bulldog has found another job around town.
UPDATE: The former Devil-Dog facility was sold in 2024 and has been repurposed, but the restored rooftop sign survives. In 2026, Zebulon's new baseball team even adopted the name Zebulon Devil Dogs, keeping the familiar local name around a little longer. 08-26
Sun Studios
Memphis, TN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Gibson guitar sign at the Sun Studios in Memphis, TN was only put up in about 2000 but it's a well done piece, with great details. if I didn't know it was a big sign hanging on a building I might think I was just looking at a picture of a real Gibson hollow body. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08
There aren't many little brick storefronts with as much history packed inside as Sun Studio in Memphis. Sitting at 706 Union Avenue, the place still has the look of an old neighborhood business, complete with the familiar SUN sign hanging over the corner entrance and the Memphis Recording Service neon glowing in the windows.
Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service here in 1950, and it wasn't long before some very different sounds started coming through the doors. Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" was recorded here in 1951, followed a few years later by a young Elvis Presley. In July 1954, Elvis recorded "That's All Right" with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, helping put both Sun and this little building on the musical map.
Sun Studios
Memphis, TN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Then there was December 4, 1956, when Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins all wound up in the studio at the same time. The impromptu session became known as the Million Dollar Quartet and added another chapter to the legend of this unassuming place on Union Avenue.
The original studio eventually closed, but fortunately the building survived. It was brought back to life during the 1980s and today operates as a museum during the day while still serving as a working recording studio after hours. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
What makes Sun especially fun from the roadside is how little fanfare the building itself really needs. No giant monument or fancy modern facade here. Just an old brick corner storefront, some glowing neon and that familiar SUN logo overhead. Pull up along Union Avenue at night and it isn't hard to imagine what this corner must have looked like when rock and roll was just getting started inside.
UPDATE: Sun Studio is still going strong at 706 Union Avenue. The old storefront remains open seven days a week for tours, and when the visitors leave for the day, the legendary room goes back to work as an active recording studio at night. Best of all, the familiar SUN sign and Memphis Recording Service storefront still give this stretch of Union Avenue plenty of old Memphis character. 08-26
Another familiar name from the old American roadside shows up here in Dunn, North Carolina. Sears once greeted travelers with this old-style freestanding sign, the kind of simple corporate marker that used to turn up in towns all across the country. 07-08
This wasn't one of the giant Sears department stores found at the shopping malls. The Dunn location operated as a smaller Sears Hometown Store, selling the familiar mix of Craftsman tools, Kenmore appliances, lawn equipment and other household goods. For a small-town commercial strip, it was basically a little piece of the much larger Sears empire.
The Dunn store managed to hang around even as Sears began disappearing elsewhere. When Sears Holdings filed for bankruptcy in 2018, the independently operated location remained open. That only bought it a few more years. Sears Hometown Stores filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, and the remaining locations were ordered into liquidation. The Dunn store closed shortly afterward.
UPDATE: Sears is gone from this location and the old roadside sign has been removed. The former store at 1002 West Cumberland Street is now home to McLambs Ace Hardware. Another once-familiar Sears name has disappeared from the roadside landscape. 08-26
Wilkesboro Speedway was one of the first speedways used for NASCAR and was still being used for time trials in the last 10 years. It has fallen apart in recent years but was a big draw for the southern crowds in NASCAR’s beginning years. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08
The speedway opened in 1947 and was part of NASCAR almost from the beginning. Its last Cup race was held in 1996, with Jeff Gordon taking the checkered flag. After that, North Wilkesboro became one of racing's great roadside ghosts, sitting mostly untouched for more than two decades.
UPDATE: The old track wasn't finished after all. NASCAR returned in 2023, and in July 2026 North Wilkesboro hosted its first points-paying Cup race since 1996. Not bad for a speedway that once looked like it had run its last lap. 08-26
Dr. Pepper
Roanoke, VA Photo courtesy Tait Hilliard
This is the largest Dr. Pepper sign I think I have ever seen. It is in downtown Roanoke VA. It appears that the neon still lights up at night. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08
You can see this one from quite a ways off. Perched high above downtown Roanoke is one of the biggest Dr. Pepper signs around, a giant bottle-cap shaped landmark complete with the familiar 10-2-4 numbers. This thing is huge, and even better, the lights still put on quite a show after dark. Definitely not your average rooftop advertising sign.
The sign dates back to the 1940s, when Dr. Pepper was pushing its famous 10-2-4 campaign. Those numbers weren't part of some mysterious soda formula. The idea was to grab a Dr. Pepper at 10, 2 and 4 for a little pick-me-up during the day. Apparently folks around Roanoke took the suggestion seriously.
Dr. Pepper sign close-up
Roanoke, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
By the 1950s, Roanoke was reportedly drinking more Dr. Pepper per person than anywhere else in the country, earning the city the nickname "Dr. Pepper Capital of the World." With a giant illuminated bottle cap watching over downtown, it's easy to believe.
The old sign became a familiar part of the Roanoke skyline and was refurbished in the mid-2000s. There's something great about seeing an old piece of advertising like this still towering over downtown instead of being replaced by another blank rooftop. The sign was recently restored along with the H&C sign on the same building.
UPDATE: The giant Dr. Pepper sign is still there and continues to light up the Roanoke skyline. More than 75 years after it first appeared above downtown, those old 10-2-4 numbers are still glowing. 08-26
H&C Coffee
Roanoke, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
Now here's a sign that really comes alive after dark. Check out the famous H&C Coffee sign glowing above downtown Roanoke, complete with a giant coffee pot pouring neon coffee into the cup below. Along with the nearby Dr. Pepper sign, this is one of those Roanoke landmarks that's pretty hard to miss. 08-08
The sign dates back to 1948 and was originally built for the Woods Brothers Coffee Company. The idea reportedly came after a trip to Times Square, and they certainly didn't settle for a simple COFFEE sign. The animated pot actually appears to tip over and pour coffee into the cup, making this one worth hanging around to see after sunset.
H&C moved around downtown over the years, and by the early 2000s the old sign was showing its age. A community effort raised the money to restore it, bringing the neon coffee pot back to life.
UPDATE: The H&C Coffee sign is still glowing in downtown Roanoke, although it has since been moved from the location pictured here to Salem Avenue. The coffee pot continues pouring away after nearly 80 years. 08-26
Devil-Dog Dungarees (Closed)
Sun Studios
Sun Studios
Sears (Gone)
Wilkesboro Speedway
