Debuting in the late 1940s at the Hawthorne Club on the corner of 5th and E Street, the neon sign marked the main intersection of roads entering Hawthorne and lit it with a huge display. Because of it, the Hawthorne Club was known as the "Bright Spot on the Corner." After the Hawthorne Club was demolished in June 1996, the sign was saved and modernized with donations. In December 1996, it was resurrected as the "Pillar of Light" and again became the "Bright Spot on the Corner."