Hickory House sounds like a delightful name for a coffee shop. It compels us to have a hearty serving of pancakes with a side of bacon, washed down with a cup of coffee.

If these signs look just a little worse for the wear, and you've never heard of the place, there's a good explanation. For a long time, the southeast corner of West 28th Street and Seventh Avenue had been a Ranch One. But now the place is being cleaned out and the Ranch One sign has been pulled ... and look at the gem that lurked beneath.

Bonus treat: The signs are topped with a little cornice concealing lights. We'd guess the signs date to the 1970s, but tell us if you know the history of this corner.

If you want to see this specimen of urban archaeology for yourself, we'd suggest you hightail it there pronto. From the time we noticed the sign last night to late this morning, the words "coffee shop" had been stripped from the Seventh Avenue side of the facade.

-- Rolando Pujol

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