THE DEMISE OF THE ROBERT E. LEE MOTEL
As you drive down US route 11 in between Abingdon and Bristol Virginia, you can’t help but spot what can only be described as a local landmark, the huge metal and neon sign of the Robert E. Lee Motel. This sign is arguably one of the most famous signs from the Bristol area, probably second only to the "Bristol VA-Tenn A Good Place to live" sign itself. Every local knows this sign and anyone who isn't that have traveled down route 11 are also very aware of this monster tribute to the advertising art of the 1940's. Which is where the story of this motel begins. During the nineteen teens and twenties Lee Highway, or as it is otherwise known US route 11, was created by connecting already existing roads to connect Bristol, VA to Washington, DC. This road would be the main route that people would take between the various towns along the way.
Of course this travel by automobile would necessitate the creation of places to stay, thus you have the large amounts of motels that would spring up between the various towns along the route. Of course with this much competition for the motorist's dollars you had to be inventive with your motel idea. Log Cabins, Indian Tee Pees, and other types of odd road side attractions sprung up across the country trying to attract motorists to their particular establishment. Though some of this had died down to a certain degree by the 1940's when the Robert E. Lee was built, the creators of the motel did erect one eye catching item to their new motel. A huge sign that was taller than the two story structure itself, the sign depicted the countenance of the person that Lee Highway had been named after, Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The letters of the sign were lit by neon, and I bet you could see this thing from a good ways off as you drove down Lee Highway during the 1940's.
Another interesting tidbit about the motel is that apparently there was an early Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise located on the second floor until around 1954 when the motel was bought by Woodrow Wells. The restaurant was named "Col. Sanders' Restaurant" and the menu from this period actually had Harlan Sanders' picture on it and touted his Kentucky Fried Chicken. It is indeed true that after auctioning off his original Sanders' Café in Corbin, KY, that Sanders' set out to create a series of franchises, and that by the late 1950's he had 200 Franchises established. According to what I have read the good Colonel was very particular about how his original recipe was used and would inspect his franchises to see if the chicken was being prepared properly. If it wasn't then he would take your franchise. Maybe he pulled this franchise when he heard that they were selling the motel, either way this has to be one of the earliest franchises for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and maybe the Colonel actually did fry up some chicken himself in the motel from time to time.
You may be asking yourself why was I prompted to create this page, and to put it on a local bottler website. The reason is simple, after the amount of research that I have put into tazewell-orange.com, I noticed a very unhappy trend, the majority of the locations and buildings that once housed these historic industries in the areas that I was researching were long since gone. They were either locations for newer businesses, parking lots, interstate highways, or just sad empty lots. This state of affairs accentuated my need to see historical places and items preserved for posterity, and now it's the Robert E. Lee Motel's turn for the demolition ball. Its long history ignored, the building left neglected, and becoming an eyesore for its neighbors has led to Washington County deciding to demolish the historic landmark.
To be honest I have to agree that the building is too far gone to save, which saddens me; however, with the Robert E. Lee Motel we have an opportunity that usually doesn't exist with other historic landmarks, we can save it's signature sign. We can remove it, restore it neon and all, and if I had my way, would put it up free standing, with that Island road plague from 1917, in Sugar hollow Park in Bristol, VA as a monument to Lee Highway itself. Bristol leaders like Carl A. Jones of Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Works fame worked hard during the teens to get Lee Highway created, and it would be great if we finally recognized their efforts, and the historical legacy of the highway on Bristol, by creating a monument just off Lee Highway with the complete restored Robert E. Lee Motel sign as it's centerpiece. We could even light up the sign at night so that it could be seen from the road by the travelers along Lee Highway.
UPDATE: In September 2009 the sign was purchased by local businessman Ron Counts, who owns RC’s Storage a short distance from the motel’s location. He plans to restore the sign, neon and all, and seems to have a real passion for restoring historical objects as his storage facility pays tribute to with its displaying of various vintage automobiles and advertising. I think the sign is finally in the good hands of someone who will give the sign all the love and attention it deserves, thus preserving it for future generations to come. I have since been contacted by Tracey Counts the wife of Ron Counts who found me through this very page, and she is going to keep me updated on the sign’s restoration process, and I will try to get a few pictures of the process to post on this page, ultimately following up with pictures of the fully restored sign’s triumphant return to the skyline of this part of Lee Highway.
This is the plaque I mentioned including in the Lee Highway monument, while it is commemorating the creation of Island road, it is obvious that Island Road was one of the individual roads that was incorporated into Lee Highway.
A post card picture of the Lee Motel from the 1950’s, including a view of the dining area, I don't see any Colonels running around with chicken; however, this could have been after 1954. You will notice that the sign is quite a bit different than it appears today. I would like to see the sign returned to this earlier state, because it certainly looks better over all. I just noticed that part of the sign is gone. If you will notice just below the main bar at the top on the postcard there is a bar with the word restaurant on it, and on the modern sign this bar is gone. Most likely lost forever.
Angle view of the Motel from the West.
Straight on view from across the street.
Closer view of the office and resturant area of the Motel. The second floor would have been the location of the "Col. Sanders' Resturant".
Closer view of the sign as the sun sets.
The details of the building fade as the shadows engulf this once noble local landmark. Soon there will be nothing but an empty lot on this location, another part of our history lost to our voluntary history ignorant short sighted desires. It’s happened far too much over the years, let’s save something of the past for the kids.
September 2009, the General’s sign having been saved the old landmark that once was so much a part of the mystique that once was Lee Highway, the main highway through the area before the coming of Interstate 81, awaits the wrecking ball.
Beside it sits the instrument of its execution, unfortunately there will be no pardon for yet another piece of our local history.
