Simpson's Florist - Decatur, AL - Artistic Neon Lights on Waymarking.com

Decatur Daily (newspaper article)
"Sign of the Times - by Ronnie Thomas/Real people
7/22/10

As change swept Sixth Avenue Southeast over the past five decades, one business and its neon sign remained constant.

The sign beaming Simpson’s Florist signaled the shop’s opening April 1, 1957.

Workers from J&M Signs removed it for the first time June 1 for restoration.
Five weeks later, they replaced it on the pole that began hugging the road after the state claimed rights of way and extended the highway — also U.S. 31 — from two lanes to four.

Chapters opened and closed in the sign saga as years passed, but pages continue charting its history.

That’s because J&M Signs and Simpson’s Florist are in the third generations of ownership by their respective families.

Carlton McMasters Jr., 30, took over day to day operations of the 57-year-old sign company from his father, Carlton Sr., in 2007. His grandfather, Carl McMasters, established the firm and built the original Simpson’s Florist sign. He died in 1987.

Carlton Sr., 56, is semi-retired and helped his son refurbish the sign.

David Bentley, 29, and his wife, Kristen, became owners of Simpson’s Florist on April 1, 2008. His parents, Jim and Ann Bentley, ran the shop for almost 30 years before retiring.

Founding family

Mary Simpson, Jim Bentley’s aunt, founded the company, and his mother, Martha Britnell, Simpson’s twin sister, worked there. Simpson retired in 1979 and died 20 years later. Britnell died in 2005.

At the start of the sign refurbishing process, Carlton Jr. and his father scraped the sign to bare metal, primed it and top covered it with the colors of green, white and turquoise.

“The cool part about the project for me was watching Dad hand paint the rose on the sign,” he said. “I couldn’t go to the computer and get the same effect. We wanted to put the same type of craftsmanship my grandfather used. I was able to re-create the lettering so we could use computer cut vinyl on the sign.”

He said J&M Signs is one of the few shops in North Alabama that still has an in-house neon plant.

“My grandfather’s old tubing was all broken up, but we were able to salvage enough of it to ensure that the dimensions on the new neon were correct,” he said.

Carlton Sr., who commended his son for management of the firm, said he recalls as a youngster assisting his father in maintenance on the original sign. ..."

Business Name: Simpson's Florist Business Type: Retail Physical Address: 902 6th Avenue Southeast Decatur, AL USA 35601-3920 Web Address: [Web Link] Condition of Neon Sign: Fully Working Order: Best viewed at night in its full glory!

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/20/2011 Dulcimoore visited it