The retro sign at the first-ever Orchard Supply Hardware store in San Jose vanished, prompting outcry from preservationists. Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, who recently called for an inventory of vintage marquees in the region, will hold a presser this afternoon to address the mysterious disappearance of the OSH arrow sign.
According to the Mercury News, neither History San Jose nor the Preservation Action Council of San Jose have managed to locate the towering wayfinder off of San Carlos Street. Google, which owns the property is reportedly looking into the disappearance while Hilco, the company liquidating the store, hadn’t responded to inquiries.
Yeager said he’s dismayed by the sign’s removal.
“Given the amount of media attention about the sign’s fate in recent months, I fear this may be a willful act to prevent any preservation restrictions being placed on the property,” he said in a news release. “I hope the sign is still intact somewhere, and I call on Lowe’s, Orchard Supply’s parent company, Google, the new owner of the San Carlos Street property, and Hilco, the company in charge of liquidating Orchard Supply’s assets, to step up and show they care about this community by producing the sign.”
The sign had been in place since 1946, the year the store first opened its doors.
This is a BIG LOSS for San Jose!!! That sign should be preserved since it is so beautiful and historic.
And how in the world could anyone steal that huge sign and that highly hung without being detected!?!?
Luong the Viet
I love Orchard Supply and terribly sad to see them close. Having a disability, it was easy for me to shop and convenient as well. Now it’s off to Home Depot, which I like as well but have to be prepared for long walks to get what I need.
“Given the amount of media attention about the sign’s fate in recent months, I fear this may be a willful act to prevent any preservation restrictions being placed on the property,” Yeager said in a news release.
Maybe it was just some souvenir hunter.