• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2022
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Flagler Beach’s Iconic A-Frame Is Getting a Make-Over for First Time in 24 Years

April 1, 2021 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

Even deshingled and disheveled, the A-frame at the Pier could not hide its iconic letters spelling out the town's name, as if tattooed on the structure for all eternity. (© FlaglerLive)
Even deshingled and disheveled, the A-frame at the Pier could not hide its iconic letters spelling out the town’s name, as if tattooed on the structure for all eternity. (© FlaglerLive)

Every city great and small has its iconic signature: Seattle’s Needle, Rome’s Coliseum, Alliance’s Carhenge, Paris’s Eiffel and Palm Coast’s water tower (give it a break, it’s a city in progress). For Flagler Beach, it’s the Pier and its sharply angled A-frame, its two sides’ 12 white letters spelling out the town’s name to horizons north and south.




Flagler Beach almost lost its identity in late March. The letters were gone, the shingles were gone, though like a tattoo to eternity the eye could still discern the letters’ imprint on the wood frame. The structure is getting its first re-shingling in 24 years, a $9,360 job carried out by Florida’s Best Roofing Inc., the Bunnell company.

  • grand living realty

It’s the fourth reconstruction of Pier-related structures in the last four years, in time–intentionally or not–for the city’s upcoming centennial. In 2017 the Pier itself, originally built in 1929 and lobotomized down to 637 feet (from 800) by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, reopened after an extensive, nearly $1 million replanking of 600 floorboards and foundational repairs by Construction Co. The Pier had been closed for eight months to accommodate the repairs. Then AWS Roofing put a new roof on the Funky Pelican restaurant in early 2019 for $52,000 (the restaurant is privately run but the city is still its landlord). Those repairs were initiated by then-City Manager Larry Newsom and approved by the city commission. Reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Administration in the wake of hurricanes Matthew and Irma defrayed much of the cost.

Early last year, using in part Tourist Development Council money, the city rebuilt the Pier’s and A-frame’s structural underpinning, an elaborate $150,000 job by Samsula Marine Division
that replaced steel plates and through bolts on the A-frame itself.

Back in 1996 Alann Engineering Group renovated the A-frame, pedestrian areas and bathrooms for $19,250. It was time for a reroofing, this time for half that cost.




“This project has been long overdue,” City Commission Chairman Eric Cooley said. “Our pier is the Number 1 landmark of the County. It is important that it looks and is in the condition that displays the pride and love our city has for it. The pier is a reflection of the last five to six years of challenges our city has overcome. The timing of addressing needed repairs and the facelift falls right in line with methodically moving forward. I see the pier every day from my business and I am excited about the changes.” Cooley owns the 7-Eleven on South Oceanshore Boulevard, a few steps down from the Pier.

The roof will get new letters. A literal signature to the project, those are appropriately being done in-house by the city’s maintenance crews, who have cut new letters from pressure-treated plywood and are about to paint them white before installation. The letters haven’t always been white: images from the late 1950s or early 60s, framed in gas-guzzling finned cars of the era, show the city’s name in scarlet letters. Between that and the structure’s shape perhaps the association was too evocative of poor old Hester Prynne, and the city wisely switched to white.

“Our maintenance department took them down. They’ll put them back up once they’re painted,” City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur said. A builder himself, he’s been keeping a personal, daily tab on the work. “I thought it was pretty essential, especially the hardware upgrade, to maintain our icon. I’m extremely happy to know the A-frame will be there for a while.”




An undated photo of the A-frame in the late 1950s or early 60s. (Florida Memory) flagler beach
An undated photo of the A-frame in the late 1950s or early 60s. (Florida Memory)

flagler beach a-frame
Re-shingled. (© FlaglerLive)

flagler beach a-frame
(© FlaglerLive)





flagler beach pier
(© FlaglerLive)

flagler beach pier bolts
(© FlaglerLive)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
You and your neighbors collectively read our articles about 25,000 times each day (that's not a typo) with up to 65,000 daily reads during emergencies like hurricanes. Flagler County residents rely on FlaglerLive for essential, bold and analytical journalism that cannot be found anywhere else. But we depend on your support. Please join our December fund drive! If you donate the cost of a scoop of ice cream, you will be helping us continue to provide comprehensive local news and honest, serious journalism for our community. If you can donate more or become a monthly donor, even better. Donations are tax deductible since FlaglerLive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donate by clicking anywhere in this box. Think of it as buying a scoop, in every sense of the term!  
All donors' identities are kept confidential and anonymous.
   

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. James M. Mejuto says

    April 1, 2021 at 11:54 am

    re: Flagler Beach iconic A-frame: I notice that workers were not wearing life-lines but depending
    on unstable ladders to guard their lives.

    James M. Mejuto

    Reply
    • TR says

      April 1, 2021 at 9:46 pm

      Look again at the picture, all the workers on the a frame and ladders have a rope tied to them.

      Reply
      • James M. Mejuto says

        April 3, 2021 at 2:05 pm

        TR says: Yes, I agree and I apologize for my mistake . . . they are all wearing lifelines.

        James M. Mejuto

        Reply
  2. Brian says

    April 1, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    Very cool – thanks to everyone involved.

    Reply
    • compaqrat2020 says

      April 2, 2021 at 6:26 am

      If you are referring to image in article look again.

      Reply
  3. Sad Times says

    April 2, 2021 at 11:17 am

    It’s so satisfying to observe that Flagler Beach is maintaining our landmarks!

    It’s such a shame, on the other hand, that they plan on ruining our classic, small town feel with a hotel and duplexes.

    Once more…greed wins out, don’t forget.

    Reply
    • Andy says

      April 3, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      Where is hotel going and what type?

      Reply
      • Joan Tardif says

        April 6, 2021 at 7:03 am

        On the green where the full farmers market used to be across from Tavalocci Realty.

        Reply
    • James M. Mejuto says

      April 5, 2021 at 8:36 am

      re: Sad Times: Yes, you’re correct . . . “greed wins out!”
      Concerned citizens must go to community meetings and actually research candidates
      running for office. Vote for these politicians who are really concerned with
      the town.
      We have to make the them own-up to their vote.
      It makes no sense to stay home, election day, then complain later!

      James M. Mejuto

      Reply
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • The dude on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 6, 2023
  • Charles on DeSantis Lawyers Tell Court That Bill Targeting Drag Shows Doesn’t Target Drag Shows
  • MITCH on Gas Prices Sink as Oil Prices Near Late 2021 Levels
  • Ray W. on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 6, 2023
  • Pierre Tristam on Take Pride
  • The dude on Drunk Driver Allegedly Goes Nuts on Deputy After Crashing Into Hydrant
  • Florida Girl on Flagler Beach Man Charged with Home Invasion Armed Robbery Against Ex
  • Willy Boy on Take Pride
  • YankeeExPat on Drag Queen Story Hour Is Not What You Think
  • Rev Paul james on Christmas Eve Shooting Update: Victim, With Long Rap Sheet, Had Just Posted Bond
  • TR on Gas Prices Sink as Oil Prices Near Late 2021 Levels
  • Patrick on Where DeSantis Goes and Who He Sees Is None of Your Business: Lawmakers Approve Secrecy
  • Pogo on DeSantis Lawyers Tell Court That Bill Targeting Drag Shows Doesn’t Target Drag Shows
  • Duncan on DeSantis Lawyers Tell Court That Bill Targeting Drag Shows Doesn’t Target Drag Shows
  • Pogo on To Survive Poverty, Prayer Helped. But So Did Government.
  • Sherry on Take Pride

Log in