RSS Add-Me
Fairfax, VA & neon.
This is the HyWay Motel (9640 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA). This is a fantastic old sign. I stopped at the motel and talked to Barry. He told me that the motel opened in 1951 and that the sign originally had a red arrow that ran from the top of the M and down the circle pointing to the motel. It also had a round TV on top. The sign also has been rotated 180 degrees. The round Hy-way is now closer to the road, but was originally away from the road.
Barry was very helpful and even showed me a copy of an old postcard. I tried to get a photo of it, but I'll have to make some corrections in Photoshop to bring out the details for comparison. Barry also told me that the sign was recently repaired over a period of 9 months and a cost of $2,000.00 (or was it $4,000.00? I'll have to call before I leave town) He said that the transformers in the sign are very old and when they were replaced with new transformers, the new ones just burnt out. The sign company had to locate old transformers to keep it going. I hope that the folks at the Hyway can keep it going because it does have beautiful colors.
UPDATED: Here's a daytime photo. I just noticed that the H in HyWay doesn't slant properly, almost like it was made for the other side.
Here is a poor photo of the motel postcard when the motel first opened. Notice the TV circle on top and the arrow, both are now gone.
Barry said that the Hyway sign was one of two neon signs in Fairfax. The other is the 29 Diner sign, built in 1947. Read more of the story about the Hyway motel sign here
THERE IS NO PHOTO ON THE WEB SITE
PLEASE POST IT.
THANKS , BARRY PATEL
