1950's Billboards in Florida

The Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation has identified a series of reinforced concrete block billboards that were constructed in 1953 along Florida’s major tourist routes (pre-interstate).  The billboards were designed and patented in 1952 by Cecil Hayden Davis of Springfield Illinois who had also purchased De Leon Springs, a historic tourist attraction here in Florida, that same year.  Sixty of these were built and at least 12 are still extant.  These “outdoor signboards” were designed to be permanent and withstand hurricane force winds. We are trying to find out if anything similar exists in other states.

Sherry Anderson, Architectural Historian
Transportation Compliance Review Program
Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources
 
sanderson@dos.state.fl.us. (800) 847-7278   Toll Free. (850) 245-6437   Fax