I am delighted that the “knight on horseback” sign built by Lloyd Coley in the 1950s from the old Sugar House Costume Company has been preserved. Having read The Tribune article “Sugar House sign preserves the past amid rapid redevelopment,” I am more confident that Salt Lake’s version of urban renewal will at least make efforts to preserve and protect landmarks of the past. That particular neon sign even survived a 1963 fire. Having the sign alight atop a 19-unit apartment complex, at its original location of 1700 S. 1100 East, will give the area an ambiance of pride in the past. Although originally the site of a costume company that once stood there, that old sign reminds me of my late dad, who was a member for 52 years of his life in the fraternal Masonic order, the Knights Templar, which had as its theme medieval chivalry. Too often, new developments are sterile structures. The past and present can coexist. By giving vintage signs new life, it will enhance the neighborhood, plus lighten things up, literally.
James A. Marples, Provo
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