Picture City, Florida facts for kids

Cement streetlights that are still standing from the 1920s in Hobe Sound along A1A.

Street signs showing the names of the roads during the proposed Picture City era of the 1920s in Hobe Sound.

Picture City was a special town that was planned in Hobe Sound, Florida. It was meant to be a big center for making movies, just like Hollywood, California. This idea came about during a time in the 1920s when many people were buying and selling land very quickly, hoping to make a lot of money.

A Dream of Hollywood in Florida

In the 1920s, a company called the Olympia Improvement Company had big plans for Hobe Sound. They wanted to build a town that looked like ancient Greece. The main goal was to create a place where movies could be made easily.

They even named the streets after famous Greek gods and places. Some of these names included Zeus, Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Olympus, Pluto, and Athena. For a short time, Hobe Sound was even called "Picture City."

However, these big plans did not last. A very strong storm, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, hit the area. After the storm, the idea of Picture City fell apart. The town went back to its original name, Hobe Sound. Even so, some things from that time still remain. The Greek-themed street names are still used today. Also, the strong concrete streetlight posts along Dixie Highway are still standing from the 1920s.

The Olympia/Apollo School

Renovations of the old Olympia/Apollo School.

In 1924, a new building was constructed in Hobe Sound. This building was soon going to be the town's new school. The Martin County Board of Public Instruction made a deal with the Picture City Corporation. They were allowed to use the new school building starting in 1925.

In October of that year, the Olympia School officially opened. It was known as the “Picture City School” of Martin County. This school served the community until 1962. Today, many local people are interested in fixing up and restoring the old school. It is now known as the Apollo School.

Memories of the Past

The old Texaco station located on A1A just west of the railroad tracks.

Some other old parts of Hobe Sound are now gone. There used to be an ice plant south of Bridge Road. The old train station is also no longer there. However, the train station building was moved and fixed up. It is now used as an office building for Becker Groves, located west of Hobe Sound. The old Texaco gas station, which was east of the Winn-Dixie plaza, is also gone.