Now Gone...3
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1. Joes Meats - Fleet St., Fells Point This cute swinger had been without its neon tubes for some time when the business closed and he disappeared in the late 90s. He was in the posession of a local collecter.
2. K-Mart Sinclair Ln, Balto. Yea, pretty corporate, I know. but this 1974 sign was a beacon, one of a few of its kind around the city. It remained well maintained through the 90s when replaced with a plastic backlit sign.
3.Karsons Restaurant - Holabird Ave. & Ponca St, Balto. This reliable family-owned landmark catered to the families and guests of the manufacturing base which enveloped the restaurant. As those industries dried up Karson's eventually did also. The building was demolished in 2002 and the site houses a tractor trailer garage.
4. Le Millet Art School - St. Paul St., Balto. 'Study Art' proclaims this interesting 1950's swinger. Located in the neighborhood of several schools of the like, and the Maryland Institute College of Art. Removed around 1998.
5. Levitz - Orchard Ln. & Ritchie Hwy., Glen Burnie, MD This large neon display could not be missed by north bound travelers, or visitors to the MVA, next door. The chain closed in Maryland in 1998.
6. McCrory's - Lexington St., downtown Balto. I missed the removal of these well built, porcelain reverse-channel neon letters. After the closing of Woolworth's in 1997, it was not long when these 5 & dime stores followed.
7. Ritchie Hi-Way Shopping Center - Brooklyn Park, MD. One of my favorites. This 1954 contemporary classic was a soft glowing beacon in the night. Never bogged down with added store names or tennent logos, like its boring replacement in 1995. It was well maintained until its demolition.
8. Savon Gas - Veterns Hwy. (Old Rt. 3 N), Millersville. Like its towering abandoned twin on Rt. 40, in Catonsville,This early local chain lasted until about 1982. Their office was on Maryland Ave. in Baltimore.
9.Sears - Parloe Plaza, Annapolis MD. These classic neon letters served this Sears throught the 1990's. The 3-sided rooftop sign was 32' long per side. It was installed first, on 3 poles, with the building built around it. That became a problem when Sears called out to remove the dated logo in the 90's. No crane truck could reach the setback of the heavy porcelain sign on the roof. It remained a few years after Sears took off for Annapolis Mall. Parole Plaza , long abandoned, was razed in 2005. $ 400 million Town Centre is under construction there.