The “Dog House” in Howard County was an advertisement for One Spot Flea Killer. — Library of Congress Photo, 1940
My mother once told me about it, but I had never seen it. Back in the 1930’s-1947 on old route 1, the original road between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., there stood an amazing billboard for a product called One Spot Flea Killer. It was one of Americas great roadside attractions. This was a massive building shaped like a chow dog, and touted as the world’s largest ‘dog house’. People would drive out Washington Boulevard just to see it.
It wasn’t really a house at all, according to some accounts, which describe it as a building that was part of the factory that made One Spot Flea Killer. Still the ‘dog house’ moniker stuck.
Other recollections of it say that it was indeed a house — three stories sandwiched between two enormous chow silhouettes. It was illuminated by over fifty feet of neon tubing.
It was located on One Spot Farm, where the products originated. They were the brainchild of W. L. Willis Simpson, who developed a tourist attraction around the farm and factory.
A Misty Winter Day
Photos by Bob Kirchman
Trees on a hillside.
Aerial perspective.
Dogwoods in Winter. — Photos by Bob Kirchman