Wender·Vista
South of the Border
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileSouth Carolina · United States
on I-95 at the North-South Carolina line

South of the Border

— — a sombrero tower the colour of a faded postcard.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Alan Schafer opened a beer stand on US 301 in 1949, just south of the North Carolina line where Robeson County was dry. The stand grew into Pedro, the 200-foot sombrero observation tower, the fireworks shops, and the billboards that still run for 175 miles up and down I-95. A roadside artifact that has outlived the road it was built for. — from the studio

from the studio
South of the Border
— bring it home

South of the Border, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about South of the Border

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

South of the Border sits in Dillon County, South Carolina, on the south side of the state line with North Carolina, at the intersection of Interstate 95 and US Route 301-501. The attraction is roughly 100 miles south of Raleigh and 100 miles north of Charleston, halfway between New York and Florida on the eastern interstate corridor. It occupies a flat patch of coastal-plain pine country at about 45 metres elevation.

— the stone

The complex was founded in 1949 by Alan Schafer, who opened a beer stand to serve travellers from neighbouring dry counties in North Carolina. The Mexican kitsch theme came in the 1950s, anchored by the mascot Pedro and a sprawl of neon signage. The Sombrero Tower, a 200-foot observation tower built in 1973 with a giant sombrero brim near the top, is the landmark visible from I-95. Most structures wear the original pastel paint, faded.

— the visit

The site is reached from I-95 exit 193 in South Carolina, with motels, fireworks shops, restaurants, and the Pedroland amusement area on either side of the interchange. It is open every day, with the fireworks stores doing most of the trade. The 175-mile run of billboards along I-95, north into Virginia and south into Georgia, is part of the experience. A small reptile museum operates inside one of the buildings.

— where
United States · Dillon County, South Carolina
— elevation
45 m · 148 ft
— position
34.5095° N · 79.4156° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
12 km S
Dillon, SC
county seat
25 km N
Lumberton, NC
interstate town
20 km SE
Pee Dee River
coastal-plain river
N
South of the Border
Dillon, SC
Lumberton, NC
Pee Dee River
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about South of the Border — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

It sits in Dillon County, South Carolina, on the south side of the North Carolina state line at the intersection of Interstate 95 and US 301-501. It is roughly halfway between New York and Florida on the I-95 corridor.

The name refers to its position just south of the North Carolina border, not the Mexican border. Founder Alan Schafer adopted the Mexican kitsch theme in the 1950s as a marketing hook after the name was already set.

Alan Schafer (1914-2001) was the South Carolina businessman who founded the attraction in 1949 as a beer stand serving travellers from dry counties in North Carolina. He grew it into a complex of motels, restaurants, and fireworks shops.

The Sombrero Tower is about 200 feet (61 metres) tall, built in 1973. It carries a giant sombrero brim near the top and is the landmark visible to drivers approaching on I-95 from either direction.

The billboards run for roughly 175 miles along I-95, from Virginia in the north to Georgia in the south. The count has varied over the decades but stayed in the low hundreds.

Yes. South of the Border remains open every day, with the fireworks stores doing most of the trade. The motel, restaurants, reptile museum, and Pedroland amusement area continue to operate at I-95 exit 193.

— about the piece in your home

It has carried well for our customers who grew up driving the East Coast corridor. The piece reads as Americana rather than spectacle. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio travels well.

The faded pastels and neon-leaning palette sit well with Roadside Americana, Mid-century Pop, and warm Maximalist rooms. It reads as a portrait of a working roadside icon rather than a postcard.

Yes. The current Americana direction favours art tied to specific named roadside places over generic Route-66 imagery. A named I-95 landmark with a real history reads as considered and personal.

A single Large (24x24 inches) anchors most sofas and consoles. For a longer wall, a 4-tile Mural broadens the sombrero tower scene; a 9-tile Mural is for a feature wall in a den or game room.

Yes. Choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish for moisture-prone rooms. Both are scratch-resistant and read softer than the Glossy show-piece finish meant for framed wall art.

A microfibre cloth with water is enough. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so it will not lift or fade with normal household cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. There is no licensing and no third-party imagery; Reid Wender is the curator and the eye behind every piece.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.