A sad farewell to the last HoJo's in the state where it all began

Quincy, Massachusetts was the place where Howard Deering Johnson began selling ice cream in 1925. In the coming years, Howard Johnson's Restaurants would become a familiar sight along the highways of the Bay State, enticing generations of travelers to stop in for grilled in butter Frankforts, fried clams, and 28 flavors of ice cream. 

In the 1980s, the Howard Johnson's restaurant empire began to crumble, and even the chain's home state was not secure. One by one, the restaurants closed and the orange roofs were torn down or covered over. By 2001, only one Howard Johnson's Restaurant remained in operation in the state: the one in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Now, that too is gone, to be replaced by an Applebee's.

Below, everything with memorabilia value has been removed from the building, including all of the orange roof tiles. The building shell awaits demolition and replacement by an Applebee's.