Publix Tiles

Publix Tiles and More

The enlarged mural is of the tiles is a representation of the tile mural located on the exterior of the Publix at the Seminole Shopping Center (later the Seminole Mall). Sue Etter, a board member and talented computer person, created a high resolution photograph which was turned into a wall mural.
The mural was dedicated to the hard-working families who originally settled in the Seminole community. There is also a tractor which was placed there to honor Jesse Johnson. Riding and working with the tractor were among his favorite jobs.

Photo of Seminole Mall from 1965. the back of Seminole Mall was all farm and nursery land owned by Jesse Johnson.

Publix store #117 opened with the Wing facade, along with the rest of Seminole Center, on November 4, 1965. Originally an open-air center featuring Publix, Eckerd, and Super 5 & 10 Stores as anchors, Seminole Center completed a major expansion in 1970, adding Woolco, Bellas Hess, JByrons, and a 2-screen AMC movie theater, becoming Seminole Mall, Pinellas County's second mall.

#117 was expanded and remodeled to the 1970s version 2 facade, concluding with a grand expansion/remodeling sale in April 1978. At this time, a tile mural was introduced by Pati Mills, and the entry/exit area was reconfigured into a single, but wide, electric-eye sliding door.

117's tile mural, by Pati Mills.The left half was designed as a tribute to Jesse Johnson, a nursery operator upon whose land Seminole Mall was built, and local citrus farming.The "Father of Seminole", Johnson was the city's first mayor (honorary only) when Seminole incorporated in 1970.

The original Publix was demolished in 2015 to make way for the new Seminole City Center.

Publix moved across 113th St. to it's new location which was an Albertsons Supermarket.

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