A large "For Sale" banner hanging behind Waynesville's beloved Old Time Music men statues has been disrupting tourist photographs for weeks, creating frustration among visitors during the town's busy fall season. The sign, positioned on the Davis Home Furniture building on Main Street, has been photobombing countless vacation pictures just as thousands prepare to visit for the upcoming Apple Harvest Festival.
The music men statues represent one of Waynesville's most photographed landmarks, with a matching metal "Waynesville" sign behind the statues that typically helps promote the town through social media posts. However, the prominent real estate banner has been forcing visitors to choose between skipping photos entirely or accepting compromised compositions that include the unsightly advertisement.
Several tourists expressed their disappointment with the visual obstruction during their visits. Sharon Bonnette, visiting from Florida, told reporters that while the statues would make a cool picture, she decided against taking photos because of the sign. Renee Scott, a realtor taking a break to visit Waynesville, called the placement "tacky" and noted how the banner dominated their group photos.
Other visitors attempted creative solutions with mixed results. Lisa Trussell, part of a three-generation family visiting Waynesville, tried cropping out the sign but ended up cutting off the statues' heads in the process. Lisa and Larry Johnston, also from Florida, were similarly frustrated, with Larry echoing the sentiment that placing the sign there was "pretty tacky."
The banner was installed by Toby Davis, a Hendersonville ReMax agent, at the direction of his brother Keith Davis, who owns the building. Toby explained that Keith felt he had the right to place signs on his property and chose that location because it offered the most visibility. Importantly, Kim Davis, who operates Davis Furniture in the building, had no control over the sign placement and was not involved in the decision.
Waynesville officials discovered that the banner violates appearance regulations for the downtown National Register Historic District, which prohibits banners of any kind. Land Use Administrator Alex Mumby initially approached the situation diplomatically, hoping to resolve it through conversation, but had to issue a formal violation notice when the collaborative approach failed.
The town sent Keith Davis a violation notice on Friday, October 10, giving him five days from receipt to remove both the banner over the music men and a second for sale banner on the building's front. However, Keith is reportedly exploring legal options to keep the signs up, with attorneys from both sides now involved in discussions.
The timing creates particular urgency as the five-day deadline could require removal before the Apple Harvest Festival, one of Waynesville's biggest tourism events. Town officials even offered a compromise, asking if the sign could be temporarily removed for the festival and then reinstalled while legal matters are resolved. However, the town faces limitations in enforcement since the historic district ordinance doesn't explicitly grant them removal authority for this type of violation.
Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague emphasized how property owners typically work together with the Downtown Waynesville Commission to maintain the area's character through public art, brick sidewalks, and flower boxes. She noted the frustration when one property owner doesn't cooperate, especially when others follow proper procedures - pointing to nearby Massie Furniture, which is also for sale but correctly placed their sign in the window rather than as an external banner.
