McDonald's sign (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)
McDonald's Store #433 Sign | |
Location in Arkansas | |
Location | 2819 S. Olive St., Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
---|---|
Coordinates | 34°12′7″N 92°0′24″W / 34.20194°N 92.00667°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | c. 1962 |
Architectural style | Single-arch McDonald's sign |
NRHP reference No. | 06000411[1] |
Added to NRHP | August 21, 2006 |
The McDonald's Sign, also known as McDonald's Store #433 Sign, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States, is one of only a few surviving examples of a single-arch McDonald's sign. The sign was erected in 1962 and remained at its original location until 2007. That year, McDonald's Store #433 moved and the sign was renovated and moved to the new location. The McDonald's sign was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
History
The neighborhood of South Main Street in Pine Bluff was mostly residential until the mid-20th-century, when commercial enterprises began to appear in the area. In 1962, owner Mike Retzer built McDonald's Store #433 at 1300 South Main Street. The building the standard corporate design for the era: a red, white and yellow motif with arches projecting through the roof. The restaurant opened on July 3, 1962.[2]
In August 2007, it was announced that the location would close by year's end. A new building was built in the 2800 block of South Olive Street, about two miles from the original location. Initially, it was unknown what the sign's fate would be; by September 2007, it was announced that the sign would move to the new location.[3][4]
In September, the sign was dismantled and transported to Skylite Sign & Neon in
Design
The McDonald's sign in Pine Bluff represents a transition between the "Speedee" sign and the now-ubiquitous double golden arches. The design featured in Pine Bluff was used for one year and was relatively rare even when it was being used, even more so today.[2] The first double golden arches sign appeared just three months after the Pine Bluff store opened.[3]
Typical of the single-arch style from McDonald's early years, the Pine Bluff sign has plastic panels held in a metal frame and red advertising space midway up the sign. The sign was manufactured by Sign Crafters of Evansville, Indiana and the plastic sheeting was made by Rohm & Haas Company of Philadelphia.[2]
Historic significance
The U.S.
It remains unclear how many single-arch McDonald's signs still exist. One was still in use in
See also
- Golden Arches
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Arkansas
- Oldest McDonald's restaurant in Downey, California
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "McDonald's Store #433 Sign, Pine Bluff, Jefferson County". Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. January 17, 2013. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ Arkansas Democrat Gazette, September 25, 2007, accessed April 22, 2008.
- ^ Duke, Richard. "Historic sign may not move with restaurant," Pine Bluff Commercial (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), August 16, 2007, accessed April 22, 2008.
- ^ Nugent, Jeannie. "Restoring the golden arch," Pine Bluff Commercial (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), October 27, 2007, accessed April 22, 2008.
- ^ Dan Gleiter [@DanGleiter] (April 20, 2016). "McDonald's 1962-era single-arch sign in Lancaster County is being dismantled, @PennLive" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "McDonald's Sign | Magnolia, New Jersey. | G W | Flickr". 19 November 2005. Retrieved Nov 17, 2020.
- ^ "McDonald's Sign 4099 | Erected in roughly 1960 this McDonald… | Flickr". 15 June 2009. Retrieved Nov 17, 2020.
Further reading
- Auer, Michael J. "The Preservation of Historic Signs", Preservation Brief #25, October 1991, National Park Service, accessed April 22, 2008.
- Langdon, Philip. Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants, (Google Books), Joseph, 1986, (ISBN 0-7181-2788-9).