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Weird historical landmarks

Terabith

By Terabith,
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Farrar

Farrar

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We used to go to a Chinese restaurant for takeout that was a couple minutes away that had a giant plaque on the wall about how it was an historic location and I kept thinking, gee, what could it be. Finally, at some point we actually ate there and discovered that it was apparently the place Nixon negotiated going to China. I was like, that's an historic landmark?!? I mean, okay. Only now it's a Walgreens.

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Terabith

Terabith

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Just now, Tree Frog said:

My in-laws used to live near the world's largest ball of twine. We used to visit it each time we went to see them. 

http://www.kansastravel.org/balloftwine.htm

My family would love to see that.  I have friends who went on a two week long, cross country drive, from Virginia and back, with the only "must do stops" being Mardi Gras in New Orleans, San Diego, and the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota.  

 

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TravelingChris

TravelingChris

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3 hours ago, Terabith said:

There's a really REALLY crappy hotel just down the road from our house.  Maybe five minutes?  I cannot overstate how crappy this place is.  My husband swears people got murdered there a couple of years ago, but I don't recall this.  

But now it's on the historical landmarks list.  

https://colony-house-motor-lodge-roanoke.booked.net/

So why is it on  the Historic Landmark list?

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cbollin

cbollin

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6 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

So why is it on  the Historic Landmark list?

While i was typing I see Terabith answered that she didn't know, this may be weird.

Here's a wild guess. Because it was built in the 50s and didn't change much, and everyone knew where it was. (so it's a landmark.  like, get on the paved road, go down Franklin Road over thar in SW,  to that motor lodge place and it's just a stones throw from yonder.)  that kind of landmark that locals would know and tourists would see the thing when they got there. 

and now the Bergland family owns it I think (or did they sell yet).   You know the car dealership that owns the Civic Center so that's business history.  But as far as I know it's not the site of anything "on this day in history" or "andrew lewis lived here" kind of thing .  It's part of Roanoke City. and as far as I know it's closed now.  

now I wait for the real reason. I didn't see anything on the booking site to give a hint.  but I did find this on Roanoke Times from March 27,2018:  "Colony House opened in 1957 at 3560 Franklin Road Southwest, when the street was one of Roanoke’s main drags. Roanoker Richard Trent built the motel with help from his childhood friend, Roanoke real estate developer and philanthropist Horace Fralin. The Trent family owned the business up until it sold it this month. Attempts to reach Richard Trent’s son, Mac Trent, who lives in the Atlanta area, were unsuccessful. Richard Trent died in 1982. After that, local hotelier and former Virginia state senator Granger MacFarlane leased and operated the motel for about 25 years, until 2013."

well that says it right there, doesn't it Terabith.  I mean if Granger MacFarlane was involved in the business, it's history.  and it survived the flood of '85.

oooh.. time to research about a murder or crime there.  ooooh....

 

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Terabith

Terabith

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Just now, cbollin said:

@Terabith    Sounds like the murder was at a Colony House up the road a bit in Staunton area. it's a different place with same name https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/local/2019/03/13/trial-waynesboro-man-charged-manslaughter-underway/3153194002/

Yeah, my husband did some googling last night and came to the conclusion that he’d seen a bunch of police there (which is not infrequent), googled, and saw either that story or the murder at another Colony House in Richmond and just assumed.  There really seem to be a lot of murders at motels with that name.  
 

Your explanation makes a ton of sense. I wasn’t here in 85, and my knowledge of Roanoke history isn’t the best, but nepotism always makes sense. 
 

I am very excited that our Robert E Lee statue is being replaced with one of Henrietta Lacks.  I hadn’t realized she was from here!

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cbollin

cbollin

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yep while googling, I saw the story in richmond and did not want to link to that.  would need serious warning labels because of the nature. 

That's cool with the statue. thumbs up.  and you mean to tell me you don't have a flood of '85 story.  LOL.  Where I currently live, I don't have an ice storm of 94 story. LOL  it's all good.

(and for those wondering on my reference ,Andrew Lewis was a revolutionary war general, and there are road sign markers where his mansion and fort were)

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TravelingChris

TravelingChris

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Now I can tell you' Terabith, that as a young child, my parents usually took us to Virginia Stat Parks for vacations.  We would rent a cabin.  We usually went like the week after school closed so second half of June.  But one year, for some reason, we went later,  And a hurricane had come inland and caused great flooding.  We were staying at Claytor Lake state park.  I remember going to see the James River and houses and cars were floating by.  That was the year we didn't see any fireworks because the show had to be cancelled in the town nearby because the field was flooded.

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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Seattle had the Bright Pink Lincoln (Towing Company) Toe- truck for ages.  I remember lots of directions that included things like "turn right at the toe-truck. . ."  Now it's housed in the Museum of History and Industry.    https://roaminangels.com/the-famous-lincolns-towing-pink-toe-truck/

Of course Seattle also has a cement troll under a bridge. . .

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MEmama

MEmama

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We went grocery shopping in an Aldi that has glass panels in the floor showing off ancient ruins in what would now be the basement. Of course ruins are common in Europe (this Aldi is in Dublin) so maybe it’s not *Midwestern ball of twine* worthy, but it was a cool find nonetheless!

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Miss Tick

Miss Tick

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I used to live close to the marker for the house where the first successful caesarean section in my state was performed. Apparently this happened on the kitchen table in the house the sign was standing in front of. It got a bit weirder after the house was torn down and now the sign stands in front of a farm field.

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cbollin

cbollin

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15 hours ago, I talk to the trees said:

I have a vague recollection of the story cbollin linked to, but I don’t recall anything about a murder at the one on Franklin. On the historic landmarks list, eh? Nothing says “Plan your next vacation here!” like a run-down motel and a giant, tacky neon star, eh? 🤣

(spit take.. giggle.  LOL)

especially since Fiji Island Restaurant closed.  That motel was my landmark  as a kid to know that we were near the restaurant.  I knew I remembered the motel for something.

giggle.  Mill Mountain Star.  yeah that qualifies as historical landmark of weird stuff.   It's an awesome landmark for final approach to the airport.  my dad was a small plane pilot.  Mill Mountain overlook with the Star.  yep, date night for high schoolers. yep.  yep fun place to look at the valley.

 

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Terabith

Terabith

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4 hours ago, cbollin said:

(spit take.. giggle.  LOL)

especially since Fiji Island Restaurant closed.  That motel was my landmark  as a kid to know that we were near the restaurant.  I knew I remembered the motel for something.

giggle.  Mill Mountain Star.  yeah that qualifies as historical landmark of weird stuff.   It's an awesome landmark for final approach to the airport.  my dad was a small plane pilot.  Mill Mountain overlook with the Star.  yep, date night for high schoolers. yep.  yep fun place to look at the valley.

 

I came to Roanoke originally to go to college.  Like the second weekend I was here, my now husband invited me to his house to do laundry.  He’d never brought a girl home, and his mom was so excited.  They took me up to the star, and she kept literally pushing us together.  
 

The star is at least picturesque.  

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pinball

pinball

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On 12/20/2022 at 10:13 PM, Terabith said:

There's a really REALLY crappy hotel just down the road from our house.  Maybe five minutes?  I cannot overstate how crappy this place is.  My husband swears people got murdered there a couple of years ago, but I don't recall this.  

But now it's on the historical landmarks list.  

https://colony-house-motor-lodge-roanoke.booked.net/

Are you talking about the National Register of Historic Places?

bc it isn’t on there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Roanoke,_Virginia
 

or do you mean a state (Virginia) or city (Roanoke) list?

 

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Terabith

Terabith

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8 minutes ago, pinball said:

Are you talking about the National Register of Historic Places?

bc it isn’t on there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Roanoke,_Virginia
 

or do you mean a state (Virginia) or city (Roanoke) list?

 

I dunno.  Whatever one this is. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/128-6477/

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TravelingChris

TravelingChris

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2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Yes, Hell exists, it is in Michigan (no surprise 😁), and it is on a lake and freezes over annually! 

 

gates-hell-michigan-little-town-79894793.jpg

We drove to Hell in Grand Cayman when we went there on a cruise in 94.  We decided to rent a car and do the island the way  we wanted.  I will have to search my computer for the photo.

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Corraleno

Corraleno

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I love Midcentury Modern design so as soon as I saw the photos I assumed it was a landmark because of the iconic 50s architecture. There's definitely a push to preserve MidMod architecture in general, and 50s motels in particular. Magnolia Network has a whole series on renovating and remodeling 50s hotels called (re)Motel — the owners of the linked motel should renovate it and put it on the show!

 

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Guest

Guest

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I love weird little historical details, or even just historical details many people don’t notice. Living where I do, there are tons of historic markers everywhere - “Lincoln ate dinner here on his way to Gettysburg!” - or some such. I love looking at those. 
 

I have wanted all my adult life to move into a historic farmhouse or town Victorian renovated. Dh is handy and this is so feasible. Alas, he has never wanted to move into an old house and can only point out that the windows and walls are not sufficiently insulated, not to mention he does not like having to submit plans to the Historical governance. 

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Eos

Eos

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On 12/21/2022 at 2:58 PM, MEmama said:

We went grocery shopping in an Aldi that has glass panels in the floor showing off ancient ruins in what would now be the basement. Of course ruins are common in Europe (this Aldi is in Dublin) so maybe it’s not *Midwestern ball of twine* worthy, but it was a cool find nonetheless!

I know that most countries in Europe have laws governing ancient sites, and new building projects can be shut down during construction if one is uncovered.  I would guess their showcasing the site was a way to build the store and also comply with some law.

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MEmama

MEmama

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49 minutes ago, Eos said:

I know that most countries in Europe have laws governing ancient sites, and new building projects can be shut down during construction if one is uncovered.  I would guess their showcasing the site was a way to build the store and also comply with some law.

Maybe. There’s been a building on site for ages, there’s actually layers of history going on and signs all over the shop. It’s really neat.

I was wrong though, it’s a Lidl not Aldi.

https://www.boredpanda.com/grocery-store-glass-floor-medieval-viking-history-dublin/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

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Eos

Eos

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3 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Maybe. There’s been a building on site for ages, there’s actually layers of history going on and signs all over the shop. It’s really neat.

I was wrong though, it’s a Lidl not Aldi.

https://www.boredpanda.com/grocery-store-glass-floor-medieval-viking-history-dublin/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Very cool!

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pinball

pinball

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14 hours ago, Corraleno said:

I love Midcentury Modern design so as soon as I saw the photos I assumed it was a landmark because of the iconic 50s architecture. There's definitely a push to preserve MidMod architecture in general, and 50s motels in particular. Magnolia Network has a whole series on renovating and remodeling 50s hotels called (re)Motel — the owners of the linked motel should renovate it and put it on the show!

 

Yes, the application claimed it met 2/4 listed criteria, with 1 of those being it had distinctive characteristics of a type or period.

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pinball

pinball

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14 hours ago, Corraleno said:

I love Midcentury Modern design so as soon as I saw the photos I assumed it was a landmark because of the iconic 50s architecture. There's definitely a push to preserve MidMod architecture in general, and 50s motels in particular. Magnolia Network has a whole series on renovating and remodeling 50s hotels called (re)Motel — the owners of the linked motel should renovate it and put it on the show!

 

Thanks for the info about this show. I’ve never heard of it.

I’ve lived in several places that are/were big tourist areas with lots of roadside motels from post war era to 1960s. I love them…so much so it has always been a daydream of mine to own one. 
 

however, in reference to one area, I told/reminded my relative of my daydream of owning a roadside motel.

her response: “all the sex offenders live in them now”

😳

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Dmmetler

Dmmetler

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There is a historic marker in Harrisonburg, near the JMU campus that reads something like “700 yards from this position, Stonewall Jackson fell off his horse”. Presumably, it’s there because the actual point at which he was unhorsed (and died) is on private property, but the wording has made generations of kids laugh because it really sounds like “this dude fell off his horse and they put a monument somewhere else”. 
 

I will say that it has done a good job of reducing a particular confederate legacy to “the guy that fell off his horse, somewhere around where the roller rink is. Or maybe the bank…or the Wendy’s”

L quite enjoys the density of historic markers in VA. Between them and the churches, you’re in range of at least 2 pokestops at any time in any downtown area. 

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vonfirmath

vonfirmath

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On 12/21/2022 at 1:10 PM, Jean in Newcastle said:

Seattle had the Bright Pink Lincoln (Towing Company) Toe- truck for ages.  I remember lots of directions that included things like "turn right at the toe-truck. . ."  Now it's housed in the Museum of History and Industry.    https://roaminangels.com/the-famous-lincolns-towing-pink-toe-truck/

Of course Seattle also has a cement troll under a bridge. . .

Fremont

Though I don't remember ever actually seeing the troll. Just hearing about him

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Dmmetler

Dmmetler

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The big chicken in Marietta, GA is like that (it’s currently a KFC, but was originally a local fried chicken place). A lot of routes (including, apparently, where airplanes bank to go into the Atlanta airport on some routes) are based around the Big chicken. I have a stuffed one around here somewhere. 
 

it’s now on an intersection of two roads which are a good 8 lanes each. 

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