H & C Coffee Sign (1997)

The owners of Woods Brothers Coffee Company contracted with the Harley Webster Sign Company to build a sign inspired by one seen in Times Square, New York City. In late 1946 the "speller-flasher" neon sign was erected atop the plant on Campbell Ave at a cost of $3,000. Later, it was moved to the present location in downtown Roanoke. Through the efforts of the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation, the owners of Billy's Ritz and the H & C Coffee Company, the sign was restored and relit in December of 1991. However, after a decade of nonfunctioning, major repairs were again undertaken in 2005. The neon landmark continues to "twinkle and pour down over the city market," a welcoming symbol of hospitality.