Davenport in Polk County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Peter Rust Civic Center

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Peter Rust Civic Center Marker

Inscription. Opened in the mid - 1930s as the Davenport Community Center, the building was funded through the Works Progress Administration. The largest federally funded project in Davenport, the Center had two major benefits: the employment of Floridians and community revitalization through a public use building.

In 1997, the Center was included in the Davenport Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Known alternatively as the Fireman's Hall, the Community Center, was renamed the Peter Rust Civic Center in 2019 in honor of Peter Rust who served as Mayor of Davenport.

Whether it be a place for public voting, local business discussions or community festivals, the goal of the space as a center for community affairs and revitalization has been realized.

Erected 2024 by The City of Davenport and The Polk County Historical Commission. (Marker Number PCHC-036.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas • Political Subdivisions. A significant historical year for this entry is 1935.

Location. 28° 9.458′ N, 81° 36.196′ W. Marker

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is in Davenport, Florida, in Polk County. It is at the intersection of South Allapaha Avenue and West Palmetto Street, on the right when traveling north on South Allapaha Avenue. The marker is attached to the Peter Rust Civic Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5 South Allapaha Avenue, Davenport FL 33837, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Florida.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Davenport Historical Society (within shouting distance of this marker); Davenport City Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Davenport School—1927 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Historic Oakland Neighborhood Business District (approx.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Peter Rust Civic Center Marker

2.8 miles away); Historic Oakland High School (approx. 2.8 miles away); Historic Myers & Wiley Athletic Field (approx. 2.9 miles away); Oak-Hill Cemetery (approx. 3.3 miles away); Originally the State Bank of Haines City (approx. 3.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Davenport.

Also see . . .
1. Davenport commemorates the past with historic markers. (Submitted on March 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. City of Davenport Florida. (Submitted on March 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Peter Rust Civic Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Peter Rust Civic Center

Credits. This page was last revised on March 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 296 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.