Fascia

A fascia sign is a long, rectangular name sign placed directly over the entrance of a business. Name signs were sometimes placed vertically on either side of the entrance. Fascia signs, although still widely used today, became an integral form of advertising before the days of the automobile. Pedestrians could easily read the sign, placed at street level, while passing by.

Fascia Signs: Image courtesy of John A. Jakle, Signs in American's Auto Age: Signatures of Landscape and Place, 2004

Fascia signs were common on mid-to-late 19^th century and early 20^th century commercial storefronts. Advertising was not integral to the design of the commercial building in the 19^th century. Signs were applied after construction; often they fit nicely above the door and sometimes they were haphazardly placed where there was little roof for a large sign. The sign in the image on the left was placed atop the door pediment, causing it to angle down toward the street. The sign in the image on the right was placed on the cornice of the storefront, also causing it to angle down; the image is from the 1950s, but the building dates to the 19^th century.

Fascia Signs on 19^th Century Storefronts: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and Highland Lodge. The image on the right courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and the Vermont State Archives.

In 1935, the federal government offered store-front remodeling loans to business owners in an attempt to stimulate the depressed economy. Fascia signs became integral to the design of the storefront, often built right in to the storefront. The lacquered signs of the past were replaced with porcelain enamel and acrylic resin plastics. Notice in the image below how the horizontal name sign above the storefront is incorporated into the design of the building.

Modern Storefront with Fascia Sign: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program