W.T. Davis Building

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 facade, in this case produced by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri. Sheet metal for architectural ornamentation had replaced iron as the metal of choice for most architectural work by the 1870s because it was stronger than iron and could be rolled and stamped into large ornamental sheets. It was well suited to small communities like Madison. From 1892 to 1910, the building's second floor served the Madison community as an opera house and a center for entertainment and social events. 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. The building now serves as The Treasures of Madison County Museum and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Madison, Florida · United States