Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/21/1988
NRHP Listing Date 09/08/1988
NRHP Reference Number 88001568
The most identifiable landmark of the twin cities of Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee is the large electric slogan sign spanning the state line on State Street. Constructed of structural steel, the Bristol Virginia–Tennessee Slogan Sign measures 60 x 35 feet and weighs two and one-half tons. It was donated in 1910 by Henry L. Dougherty, head of Dougherty and Company of New York, owner of Bristol’s electric company. It originally was placed atop the Virginia-Tennessee Hardware Co. building but was relocated to its present site in 1915. In 1921 the slogan was changed from “Push! . . . That’s Bristol” to “Bristol . . . A Good Place to Live.” The Bristol Virginia–Tennessee Slogan Sign was restored in 1982 and remains a much-admired expression of civic pride for two cities with a special common history.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: January 27, 2022
