Usually, there are at least several “surprise” Theatre demolitions during this portion of the annual marathon project. But this year, I only have one. The former Rose Theatre in Glendive, MT and the much larger building to the right was demolished after a fire:

Lots of theatres closed/reopened for renovations, etc. in the 160 pages that I went through. But not dramatic changes to the exterior of the buildings. I’ll just include a couple examples of some news in this post.

This theatre in Shawnee, OK changed their readerboards to graphic displays and the neon to crappy LED rope. This is actually happening all over the country with theatres right now. I bet in 10 years, all the readerboards will be gone. I don’t know of any city sign codes that prohibit graphic displays — but plenty still outlaw new neon signs! Anyhow, one of my photos of the Ritz in 2020. Sure, those plastic letters are not original but they have a certain 1960s charm:

And from StreetView now — at least they didn’t touch the neon on the blade sign (yet!):

Have a look at this closeup of that crappy rubber rope. You can’t make straight lines, crisp corners, or even nice curves with that junk. And then it starts falling off in a year or two:

For comparison, here was the neon:

The restoration of the Hardy’s Theatre in Fresno, CA is coming along which is a good thing. But….

… if you look closely, the the missing neon was replaced with, you guessed it, crappy, sloppy LED tubing. How can it look so bad already? Just wait a couple of years and half of it will have fallen out of the channels:

Moving on to the Art Deco section – more than 200 pages and just a few things to report here. This former restaurant building in Orange, MA is gone now:

The Riverfront Parking Garage in Memphis, TN was mistakenly in the Art Deco section but I think it’s really from the 1950s or 1960s. It has been demolished for a new art museum that’s being built. I doubt any of the concrete block or eagle sculptures were saved:

This building in Long Beach, CA is gone now – demolished for more parking:

Moving on to the Eateries (restaurants) section. This little, porcelain enamel false front in Miami, AZ is gone now. I have no idea where it came from or where it went:

The Tasty Dip in Heflin, AL has closed…:

… and the sign is laying flat on the roof:

Claud’s Hamburgers in Tulsa, OK closed in 2022…

It is now housing Inheritance Kitchen + Juicery:

This drive-in in Charlotte, NC has closed and the property has been sold:

Lapp’s Olympia Dairy Bar in Carneys Point, NJ which closed in 2021 has been demolished:

This former Ku-Ku restaurant in Bryan, TX was demolished for a boring boxy building:

This former Planters Peanut shop from 1939 in Binghamton, NY has closed:

I don’t know if this tile apron will be preserved:

This former Taco Bell in Tulsa, OK had been vacant for a few years but it’s now housing Catrina Fresh Mex:

This long-closed Weber’s Root Beer in Brooklawn, NJ has been bulldozed. I hope someone saved the sputnik sign and the spinning ball sign:

This sign at the Weber’s Root Beer in Pennsauken, NJ was knocked over by high winds last year. I don’t know if it will be replaced or if the spinning discs were destroyed:

This post is running pretty long. So, let’s pick up with more Eateries next time. I still have hundreds of pages to go through.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

There are just a few more noteworthy mentions from the Giants section. The Golden Buddha in Amboy, CA is gone now:

The Pirate and the Mermaid in Oceanside, CA are gone now. I believe they were installed in 1969 next to the Flying Bridge Restaurant. In 2025, the mermaid was destroyed. The pirate was rescued, restored, and sold. He may be installed later at Oceanside High School:

The International Fiberglass Indian in Carrington, ND was removed in October for restoration:

Moving on to the Animals statues section. From the Lobsters & Shrimp page, this statue in Nanticoke, PA is gone now:

From the Octopus page…. this statue in Bokeelia, FL is gone now:

Some good news for the Other Reptiles page — Iggy the Iguana was returned to top of the building last year at the Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, TX after restoration:

From the Sharks pages… this statue in Elizabeth, IL is gone now:

From the Water Animals pages… Salty the Seahorse in Mattapoisett, MA has a fresh paintjob:

From the Whales pages.. the statue that was installed on top of Worrell’s Seafood (closed 2011) in Wilson, NC has apparently been fully restored and looks ready for reinstallation. They are probably waiting for spring when the new Worrell’s Seafood Market & Restaurant opens. My photo from 2009:

Photo below from the artist’s FB page — with lots of other photos of the transformation: https://www.facebook.com/ashleykfabrizio/photos

From the Bears pages, this guy in El Paso, TX is gone:

From the Fish section… this giant bass in Clarks Grove, MN is gone now:

Something might be happening with this weathered catfish in Slidell, LA. It came from a downtown catfish restaurant originally. You can still read “Kelly’s” in white paint above the red spray paint. One of my photos from 2019:

The latest StreetView — 2022 — knocked over with the pole on the far side and broken tail:

A year later – the statue’s back up and from different angles, I don’t see the missing tail:

Last year, the statue is turned in the other direction with broken tail side facing us. So, could it be that the business might be building a sign and has plans to re-erect the fish? There’s no sign, other than a “wood for sale” on the corner or I’d be calling immediately to find out what the deal is. I’m hoping for a miracle here and I’ll be holding my breath for next year’s Street View:

The muskie statue in Deer River, MN…:

… has been replaced with a new one:

From the Bulls section… This bull and little piggie in Stewardson, IL are gone now:

The Bull that was in Sacramento, CA at Ruland’s Used Office Furniture…:

… was moved to Fog Willow Farms in Wilton, CA when the store moved in 2021. I finally found a photo of him there at the farms’ website and he looks great!

This bull in Milton, FL is gone now:

From the Birds pages — this turkey in Pipe, WI is gone now:

This eagle in New Albany, IN is gone now:

These statues in Crawfordville, FL are gone now:

This statue in Carlsbad, CA is gone now:

This chicken in El Reno, OK is gone now:

This rooster in Hubbardston, MA is gone now:

This rooster in Painter, VA is also gone:

And that does it for all the statues at my website. It’ll be buildings and signs for the duration of this winter project. For the next post, I’ll be moving on to the Theatres section.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

From the Giants statues section (actually, the section covers all sizes of statues of people) — Tony’s Pizza in Ocean City, MD closed and this statue was removed. I don’t know where it went:

The Pizza Chef in Stockton, IL is also gone:

Sandy’s Purple Palace in York Beach, ME closed in 2024 and this Chinese Chef on the roof is gone now:

The Fisk Tire Boy statues at Warholak Tire in Detroit, MI are gone now. The business was sold at the end of 2023. That leaves only two of these statues on public view now (Scottsdale, AZ and Bakersfield, CA). The one on the roof is now in the new owner’s backyard:

The statue that was in the office was taken by the previous owner:

Here’s a bit of good news — the bank robber and dog sculpture on the Valley Bank in Kalispell, MT has been moved closer to the front of the building and a sheriff statue added on the left:

This Atlas statue in Albany, OR is gone now. These statues originally held globes and were built for Jack LaLanne Fitness Centers in the U.S. and Canada. I believe there are less than a dozen left now:

The soldier statue at the now-closed Callahan’s Tavern in Upper Darby, PA is gone now:

This Abraham Lincoln head sculpture in Lead, SD that pointed the way to the long-closed Presidents Park is gone now:

This Pep Boys statue in Philadelphia, PA was displayed in front of the company’s headquarters and it’s gone now. The company moved to Bala Cynwyd, PA around 2023 and I assume they brought the statue with them:

This Pep Boys statue at the company’ store in Stratford, NJ is also gone now:

The Max Motors statue in Harrisonville, MO is gone now. Last year, the dealership was sold to Reed Ford and the statue was removed. His left arm was ripped off in a storm in 2023. The identical statues at the Max Motors in Nevada, MO (both arms missing) and Butler, MO (both arms intact) are still there:

This law firm billboard statue in Pensacola, FL is gone now:

The Railsplitter Covered Wagon with Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, IL…

… must have been damaged with winds last year or they were just repairing the wagon’s tarp. I assume that it will be fixed if it hasn’t been already:

Some good news — the restoration of Rocket Bob in Grand Island, NE…:

is done – from this FB post:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/218676792817854/posts/1230586238293566/

The Pocahontas statue in Pocahontas, IA was repainted in 2024 and is looking great!

Some more good news — the 28-foot-tall Mermaid from 1967 in Mounds View, MN was removed in 2018 and put in storage. It was originally on the roof – my photo 2011:

“Storage” is usually the kiss of death but the City bought her for a dollar, restored her, and had her installed last year at her original location. She’s now on a pole by the entrance. Photos below from the Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center’s FB page:

A big turnout for her return – a great shot of the back from the roof which I don’t think you can see otherwise:

Let’s wrap-up this blog post with that happy news and since this is getting pretty long. I’ll be back soon with more statues.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

This former Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Durham, NC…:

… has been restored as The Lincoln on Geer wedding and event venue.

This dealership building in San Jose, CA is gone now and…:

… this boring monster was built behind it. When they were done, they demolished the older building:

From the Mini Golf section. The Pro Putt Mini Golf in Havre, MT has closed – from latest Google Street View:

The Putt Putt in Warren, OH is gone now. It was demolished last year and a Ford dealership parking lot is there now. Here’s a photo I took before that happened:

Hago Harrington’s Mini Golf in Stoneham, MA is gone now, too. It was built in 1948 and had lots of charming handmade obstacles like the ones below. It closed in 2023 and was paved over for truck parking by last year:

The Polynesian Putter in St. Pete Beach, FL was hit hard by Hurricane Ian in 2024. They will not be reopening. Many of the statues were still there in this 2025 StreetView. Maybe by some miracle, this lot will be turned into a park or the concrete statues saved.:

Sunset Park Mini Golf in South Park Township, PA was a wonderful old time course with obstacles like those below. It closed last year and was swiftly bulldozed:

Moving on to the Diners section… The Streamliner Diner in Savannah, GA – my photo from 2021… :

… was being repainted in the 2025 StreetView below. I know there was a big fire last February and that the former tenant (Strange Bird) has been having food truck popups and plans to reopen here. Maybe this bright green is a primer or maybe this will be the final color with different lettering. Stay tuned…:

This Valentine diner in Amarillo, TX was loaded onto a trailer and taken away. No one knows where it went or what the plans are:

You may have heard… this sign is currently up for sale at Facebook Marketplace. After the diner in Philadelphia, PA was demolished in 2023, the developer said there would be another restaurant next to the multi-story apartment building. However, they changed their mind and are now selling the sign:

Oh dear. The Trolley Pizzaria in Lowell, MA (not a “true” diner which were prefabricated and shipped as a unit to the site but built on-site to look like a trolley car)…:

… is looking very rough at StreetView last year — boarded up and sagging:

Sure enough — I found a news article — and it was demolished a few mos. ago:

I’ll be moving on in the next blog post with “discoveries” from the Giants (giant statues of people) section. There are 8 sections to go with hundreds of pages in each – the last 4 sections with over 300 pages each. So, many more blog posts (and heartaches to come).

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

From the Giant Skates page — the Aloha Roller Palace in Mesquite, TX has closed and this skate car are gone:

From the Giant Globes pages — this one in Springfield, MO appeared to be gone…:

… But to my relief, I found some articles about it being moved in 2024 to the new BBFI (Baptist Bible Fellowship International) location and a little video of the moving process: https://www.ozarksfirst.com/top-stories/mission-university-globe-moves-to-new-office-location/

This globe in Neillsville, WI is gone now:

From the Giant Vehicles pages… this flying saucer in Haslett, MI is gone now:

From the Windmill pages, this water vending machine building in Plant City, FL is gone now:

Shoot those little cuties while you can: Watermill Express is rapidly replacing all of these windmill structures with larger, boring box versions like this one:

The windmill at Jerry’s Nursery & Garden Center in Farr West, UT was looking very sad and neglected when I took this photo in 2022. And that sprinkler wasn’t helping the little wooden structure with missing paint:

The StreetView map from a year later showed that someone had taken the time to paint it — although the blades were still pretty askew:

But, alas, the interstate view from August shows that Jerry’s is closed after a major fire — and the windmill, now missing its blades, is likely doomed. Unless there’s a major miracle and Jerry’s rebuilds and restores the little mascot:

In better news, the windmill in Salt Lake City, UT was looking pretty ratty back in 2005:

In 2021, they repainted the building and started working on a new window. The new StreetView is up and it looks great!

From the Castles pages, this former Children’s Castle building in Kenner, LA…:

… has been stripped of its turrets & other castle features:

From the Misc. Giant Things section– this shovel in Creedmoor, TX is gone now:

This saw in Gainesville, FL is gone now:

I believe these hair scissors in Crescent City, CA are gone now:

I’ll be moving on to the Car Showrooms section in the next post.

If you’re curious, I’m almost 25% of the way thru this project. So, there will be many more posts over the next few months.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Here’s the wrap-up of the SCA Signs section with the remaining two subsections. First, the Scaffold Signs pages.

I just shot this sign in Quincy, IL in June — ain’t it lovely?

but Google StreetView shows this:

Wuh-oh. Yup – an online article shares that the sign is “getting a facelift… They will be replacing the sign’s neon bulbs with LED bulbs, fixing the clock and painting the sign. Just refreshing the look. So, to stay only in spec, just the way it was designed. We’re just going to freshen it up, get the clock working and not malfunctioning. It should have some pop to it with the LEDs, but it will look exactly like it did, hopefully this all goes well or goes to plan exactly like it did when it was made, maybe even a little brighter if anything,”

I can’t help but be skeptical. I fear the next time we see it, there will be backlit plastic letters. Let’s all hold our collective breaths and pray…

******************

Google StreetView still shows the letters missing from the Androy Hotel sign in Hibbing, MN. But they were reinstalled and relit a few months ago. I can’t find anywhere whether they used neon or LED. Most scaffold signs are restored with LED these days. This photo from the Mesabi Tribune:

This sign in Memphis, TN is gone now:

Moving on to the Bowling Signs pages. The Leda Lanes in Nashua, NH closed earlier this year and the building was demolished for a shopping center development. So, this rooftop candlepin sign is gone now. I hope someone snagged it since candlepin signs are VERY rare:

The Echo Lanes Bowl in Warren, OH fell over a couple of years ago and I can find nothing about it being restored or replicated. I think we can assume it was either trashed or the top panel sold:

The nifty “BOWL” letters on the Shawnee Bowl sign in Shawnee, OK…:

… have been replaced with boring block letters and LED strip borders instead of neon. The new top panels have also been replaced (no more fun bowling pin characters) but at least the left the metal star on top:

This sign in Johnstown, PA from the long-closed Zip’s Classic Lanes is gone now:

The San Juan Lanes in Anacortes, WA was removed in 2022 after the bowling alley closed and was demolished. The sign was taken to a junkyard and then purchased by Dad’s Diner in town before it could be destroyed. They were “working with the city” to install the sign on the side of their building but I don’t think that happened:

This sign in Hillsboro, WI is probably gone now. The two poles are still there so maybe there’s some hope that it’s at the shop being restored:

This sign in Hamilton, ON is gone now:

This sign in Belvidere, IL is gone now. The building was demolished in July and will soon be replaced with a Starbucks and a Chipotle:

That’s a wrap for signs for a while. The “real” Signs section will be towards the very end of this project (about 400 pages of those to go thru). The next post(s) will cover the Giant Stuff and Car Showrooms sections.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Getting back to the SCA (Society for Commercial Archaeology) article companion pages…. from the Sputnik Sign pages. This sign in San Bernardino, CA disappeared earlier this year:

The C-152 Lectra in Stamford, TX is gone now:

From the Opal Glass Letters Signs pages, this sign in Independence, CA is gone:

This sign which was tucked away in an alley in Susanville, CA is also gone:

From the Neon Extension Signs pages — this sign in South Gate, CA has plastic panels now and the arrow is gone:

Speaking of extension arrows… the latest Street View doesn’t show it yet, but the Last Chance Liquors sign in Nashville, TN was restored in August. It’s definitely on my map & list for this summer’s trip but here’s a short video showing the eight chasing arrows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTelQgsFvk

The Star Liquors sign in Garden Grove, CA…:

… got some atrocious backlit plastic letters but at least they left the bottles alone:

The Bon-Ton Cafe sign in Memphis, TN…:

… is now missing the bottom canopy panels with the circles:

From the Clock Signs pages… This Elgin Watch Company sign in Hibbing, MN is gone now. There are only a few of these once commonplace signs left:

This business in Bradley, IL closed in 2025 and this sign is gone now:

Another business opened in town and has a “tribute” sign:

Moving on to the Donut Signs pages… this former Mrs. Chapman’s Angel Food Do-Nuts in Long Beach, CA on Carson St….

… is now part of the Tierra Mia Coffee chain. The sign is still donut-ish but I wish the hole was still there:

This store in Lafayette, LA closed and I assume that the sign is gone. The store was housed in a former Mission-style Taco Bell but that building was demolished earlier this year as a Cuban restaurant is being built in its place:

This shop in Rochester, PA closed last year and the giant donut on top of the sign has been removed:

This shop in Wichita, KS closed las year and this sign is gone:

This sign in Oakland, CA disappeared earlier this year:

This former Jolly Pirate Donuts sign in Columbus, OH…:

… has been “updated” with backlit plastic letters and the neon removed from the top and bottom:

I knew this long-closed donut shop in St. Louis, MO began housing the Milque Toast restaurant in 2024. I reshot it that summer and just a few weeks later, they restored the donut sign’s neon — god bless ’em!

This shop in New Albany, IN closed earlier this year and the sign is gone now:

This Southern Maid Donuts in Odessa, TX…:

… has been repainted — I approve since I love bright green:

The M&T Donut Shop sign in Compton, CA is gone now:

Let’s end this post with some much-needed good news. This donut shop in Allston, MA closed earlier this year and it was announced that a Blank Street coffee shop would be moving into the space. With no landmark protection, etc., we held our breath that there would either be a new sign or some horrible adaptation. But no! The sign was completely restored by Neon Williams – thanks Dave & crew!!: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRGKHx3kR47/?img_index=1

I still have even more SCA pages to go through — the two biggest: Scaffold Signs and Bowling Signs. And then, I’ll be moving on to the Giant Stuff and Car Showrooms sections.

Happy 2026 — and Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

From the Dinosaur statues section… The Green Forest Car Wash in Los Angeles, CA became Luv Car Wash earlier this year and the dinosaur statues are gone:

Every year, I discover the loss of at least one Kress department store building during this map-clicking process. This time, it was the one in Shawnee, OK which had been damaged in a tornado in 2023:

Moving on to some signs from the SCA section. This section has companion pages for the Journal articles that I wrote for the Society for Commercial Archeology from 2007-2025. This is a smallish section with about 100 pages. Towards the end of this winter project will come the “real” Signs section with about 400 pages.

From the Cars Signs page — this sign in Dover, OH is gone now:

The car sign at the Car Shack in Corpus Christi, TX….:

… has a new paint job:

From the Skating Signs page – the Jack’s Skateland’s sign in Fort Smith, AR…

… has unfortunately updated the original corrugated text panel from 1962 (but they kept the same general style of font & a nice clunky skate)…. AND!!! they added neon back to the star – wow-ee! I just added to my reshoot list & map for this summer on my way back from Tennessee & Kentucky:

The star is very likely a Neo-Lectra Jr — shown here in the middle of the ad:

From the Pancakes Signs page — This sign in Selma, AL is gone now. It had been moved to the Steak Pit in 2014 which had the same owners. But now the Steak Pit is also closed:

This sign in St. Louis, MO...:

… is being restored/updated by new owners. It’s not up yet on the street yet or at GoogleStreetView but poking around, you can see what it will look like soon. From their FB page — chasing lights & neon, repainted light brown (pancake color?), “Pancakes” replaced with “Pancake House”….

… and from their website, although the cocktail glass is gone (bummer), there will be pancakes instead!

From the Penguins & Polar Bears Signs page — DeLuxe Cleaners in Clifton, NJ …

closed earlier this year and this sign is gone now. The other signs remain for now:

From the Pizza Chef Signs page… Uncle Dante’s Pizza (later Tulipano’s Pizza) in Egg Harbor Township, NJ is now a Filipino restaurant and this fun sign is gone:

From the Plumbing Signs page — In Los Angeles, the Adee Plumbing signs and those long-repainted mystery panels to the right are both gone now:

From the Mechanical Signs pages — this former Boot Barn sign (horse originally had moving legs) in Billings, MT is gone now. The good news is that there are still three of these signs left — with the one in Cheyenne, WY still operating.

This post is getting pretty long. So, I’ll pick back up soon in the next post with more “news” from the SCA Signs section. The Giant Stuff and Car Showrooms will be next.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Nothing to report from the Fairy Tale & Santa Parks section.

So, let’s start with some good news from the Bus Stations section. The former Greyhound bus station in Olympia, WA has been renovated and adapted as the Bus Stop Bar & Bistro. Wonderful good news after being on the endangered list for many years. My 2015 photo:

And the renovated building which opened late last year — from their FB page:

From the Bottling Plants buildings section… I didn’t get a chance to shoot this 1961 building yet in Durham, NC… and GSV shows that it was demolished earlier this year in order to build housing. There are plans to integrate “pieces” of the building into the new development. We’ve heard that before! Usually, some awful tribute and not even the original “pieces”:

Moving on to Drive-in Theatres section. The Starlite Drive-in in El Monte, CA has been bulldozed for housing. But, as promised, they are “preserving” the sign. It must be a replica since the current sign was a complete wreck. Here’s a photo I took in 2013:

And it only got worse after that. Here’s GSV from last May:

Both sides of the original sign from 1950. Note the long-missing “Drive In” letters and stars in the background:

Now at the November GSV: this is the side that’s nearly done (other side still missing star and letters). Apparently, the stars in the background will also be replicated!

The Van Del Drive-in screentower in Middle Point, OH…:

… has been repainted to match its sign:

From the Tires Stores section… This Goodyear store in Pontiac, MI moved to another location and this sign is gone now:

Another of these now rare giant Goodyear signs — this one in Columbus, OH…:

was adapted earlier this year:

Earlier this year, the Firestone letters on this building in Spokane Valley, WA…

… had been replaced with plastic versions and that part of the building had been painted black (why?!? but it seems to be a trend as I have seen other Firestones that have done this). The pole sign still has neon:

The long-closed Firestone in Butte, MT…:

… now houses the Butte Native Wellness Center. I’m not a fan of how they stuck cow skulls right on top of the Firestone shields:

And lastly, this Firestone sign in Bakersfield, CA is gone now:

Back with more “news” soon. Dinosaur statues and Department stores are next.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

The grueling winter project has begun. But it’s so necessary to keep my website as current as possible and plan reshoots in the future. In this slew of posts over the next few months, you’ll find before/after shots (my photos vs. snippets from the latest Google StreetView maps). I promise there will be some good news here and there. But most of the changes will be on a scale somewhere between sad and heartbreaking.

I always start off with the small sections and work up to the biggest ones (like the Gas Stations, Mid-century Buildings, and Signs sections which are huge — so those posts are months away).

Nothing to report for the Paul Bunyan and Collections statues sections this year. No changes for the Egyptian Revival building section. No news is good news.

From the Tiki section, a couple of things to mention. This building in Niles, OH was built for the Aloha restaurant and later became the Sunshine Chinese Buffet. My photo from 2010:

It had been vacant since around 2014 until earlier this year when it was remodeled for a cannabis store:

Also, from the Tiki section. The former Bahooka restaurant in Rosemead, CA was always hard to shoot because of all the palm trees but here’s a photo I took in 2008:

Well, now the palms are gone and so are the remaining Polynesian architectural features:

From the Teepees section, it appears that the teepee from the 1940s in Globe, AZ is being restored. There have been plans to do so since 2021. Here’s a photo I took in 2012:

and now from a couple of months ago at GSV. I assume repainting is to come:

The Teepee in Allentown, AZ… was originally a gas station office:

My photo from 2012:

And now… the windows and door have been covered up:

This Teepee in Hollywood, FL was built as a souvenir stand in the 1950s:

At some point, a building was built around it. But now it’s gone and so is the entire building:

This Teepee in Cave City, KY is gone now:

From the Vessels section (giant bottles, coffee pots, and other giant containers)… This building in Reading, PA was built for the Levengood Dairies milk/ice cream store chain with cup-shaped buildings. Over the years, the rounded cup was covered with siding and the giant straw was removed. The building housed Speedie’s Dinette from 1974-2020. It had been vacant since then. My photo from 2010:

Earlier this year, the building became home to the King of Stoves and a crown was added above the former cup:

The giant cup (and the Starbucks) in Sacramento, CA which had been there since at least 2008 are gone now:

This cup and mug in Del Norte, CO are gone now:

From the Food section…. the Bagelry in San Francisco, CA has closed and this giant bagel is gone:

Tanner’s Big Orange opened at this location in Greenville, SC in 1966 and this sign with the giant hot dog was installed then. The restaurant closed in 2023 and there’s a new pizza place going into the building. It sounds like this sign is coming down and will most likely be destroyed:

The former Cheese House in Wells, ME, with its wheel of cheese shaped building, has closed. There were about 20 of these buildings in this 1960s chain and only a handful of these buildings are left. The scruffy mouse on the roof is also gone. I’m devastated. He was the last mouse left:

Here’s a postcard of one that was in Wiscassett, ME. For more about these buildings and to see the ones that still survive, see this page at my website: https://www.roadarch.com/food/other2.html

Mac’s Deli in Kenosha, WI closed around 2021. Earlier this year, the building began housing another business and this Nut Bar was removed:

The Vinehenge playground in Escondido, CA was removed earlier this year when the grapes and vines were showing some wear and found to be unsafe:

***********************************************

And while I’m posting all this news… Here are a couple of things that happened very recently which have been updated at my website already.

The former Franksville in Joliet, IL had a bad fire about 3 days ago and the building will likely be demolished. My photo from last year:

About a week ago, the Jack and Jill Bowling Lanes sign in American Fork, UT fell over during high winds. My photo from 2014:

The damage looks pretty bad and I don’t know if it will be restored. The sign is about 50 feet tall so it would cost a fortune to repair or even replicate. Here’s a photo from KSL-TV:

I’ll be back soon with another newsworthy post. Happy Holidays!

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram