Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Built in 1892 by William Turner (W.T.) Davis, this building is one of the few remaining buildings in Florida covered with a galvanized sheet metal façade, in this example produced by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri. This use of sheet metal for architectural ornamentation replaced iron as the metal of choice for most architectural work by the 1870s. Stronger than iron, it could be rolled and stamped into large ornamental sheets. Galvanized sheet metal was a great choice for small communities like Madison. The building's second floor served the Madison community as an opera house and a center for entertainment and social events from 1892 to 1910. The building also housed small businesses and the law offices of W. T. Davis's son, Charles Edgar Davis, and grandson, William Turner Davis. These two men were the only father and son who served as president of the Florida State Senate: Charles Edgar in 1915 and William Turner in 1955. This grand old building now serves as The Treasures of Madison County Museum, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.