![Copyright Larry Johnston](https://larry-johnston.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/RootBeerBarrel-1024x628.jpg)
Copyright Larry Johnston
A&W Root Beer Barrel
South Bend – Elkhart, Indiana
There was a time when building designs were used to attract customers, as well as Signs and other types of advertising. The Barrel became a popular design for Root Beer, as they buildings resembled the Barrel.
The Root Beer barrel I painted here was in the South Bend – Elkhart area. There were barrels located at 3 locations in South Bend, on Lincolnway, across the river from the Farmers Market , State Road 23 & Ironwood and at Mayflower and Western area. Elkhart had a barrel located on North Main Street. There were a few others located in the Michiana area. I painted it to look like as if it could have been any one of those locations. Of course, as usual, I surrounded the building with cars that could have been there during the 1950s.
I lived on North Ironwood, so it was just a short bicycle ride to the Barrel at Ironwood and State Road 23. There is a supermarket at that location now and all of the other A & W Root Beer Barrels have since disappeared, replaced with more modern buildings and equipment.
Other A & W paintings that I have done: A & W Rootbeer Drive-in, Taylor, MI
![](https://larry-johnston.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20201015_185246-2-300x204.jpg)
![](https://larry-johnston.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20201015_185322-300x256.jpg)
![](https://larry-johnston.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/black-edge-3-300x232.jpg)
24” x 36” ………. $1,295.00 Original Painting