Lamppost Markers

The Sanford Historic Trust commissioned award-winning artist Al Carroll to design “Old Sanford Historic District” lamppost markers that are unique and specific to the district. The intent of the markers is to give residents a sense of pride in place and let visitors know that they are in the Old Sanford Historic District.

Graphic designer, painter, teacher and studio owner, Mr. Carroll is a well-known member of the Central Florida arts community. His commissions include Disney, Main Street Development, numerous resorts and restaurants and the charming signs that grace downtown Winter Park.

In June 2013, Mr. Carroll visited the Sanford Historic Residential District to study the architectural styles and get a sense of the community. He studied the architecture of the homes and got a feel for the character of the neighborhood, noting the ibis moving about in our front yards. Being an old school artist, Mr. Carroll designed our marker without the use of a computer. The lettering style is borrowed from an archival font book in Mr. Carroll’s library. Mr. Carroll hand lettered our lamppost marker, something unheard of these days. The ibis image is a painting by Mr. Carroll. We got much more than we paid for.

Presented with several choices, the Sanford Historic Trust board of directors approved a design that complements the style historic double light lampposts. The asymmetrical design holds the attention of the viewer through the use of color, shape, lettering and painted imagery.

The Trust has installed markers close to the entrances of the historic district on the north-south avenues. Many, many thanks to Kathy Hull for a job well done. From a serendipitous bike ride in the College Quarter District in Winter Park last spring, where she spotted their historic markers, to where the project is today, Kathy spent many hours tracking down the person(s) responsible for those signs until she finally met with Al Carroll. Her persistence and dedication to detail has made our beautiful Old Sanford Historic District markers a reality.

CLICK HERE to report a lamppost issue.