SIGNS & MORE, INC. BLOG - Sign, Banner & Vehicle Graphics Facts & Information

New Monument Sign for Midway Presbyterian Church

Posted by Bill Swanson on Wed, May 31, 2017 @ 10:00 AM

Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, GA was founded in 1850.  The sanctuary, built in 1905 is still part of the church.  In 2009, Midway constructed a new sanctuary along with a new Fellowship Hall that made the church look outstanding. A few years later, they decided their monument sign needed a makeover.

BeforeMidway-Pres-Before.jpg

Signs and More, Inc. was called in to consult on the sign.  The existing sign was as old as the church and made of solid concrete.  The church wanted to have an easy to see sign with an electronic message center.  Two main options were considered: 1) Removing the existing sign and building a new sign closer to the entrance or 2) Adding on to the existing sign.  Looking at the two options, it was decided that avoiding demolishing the existing sign and rebuilding a new base would add cost that would not be justified.

We designed the sign to look like the new part of the building, with stones, stucco and trim to match.  Also, we brought in a set of life-size set of Electronic Message Centers with different size, pitch (closeness of the LEDs) and colors to look at.  We were able to see how easy it is to read the different sizes and pitches from different distances.  This confirmed the decision that a 3’ x 8’ 16mm message center was appropriate for this sign.

Permit Proof MONUMENT_Day_Night 090616.jpg

Shows Existing Monument behindPermit Proof MONUMENT_UL# 090816.jpg

Next, Signs and More made a life-sized printout of the proof—with the Logobox on top to the rocks at the bottom.  Bill and a member of the church Trustees held up the sign for others to view the size, etc.

Test Sign - EMC.jpg

After the sign was completely approved by the church, there were more steps required.  Midway Presbyterian’s property is zoned residential.  When they approved the sign, Cobb County did not allow LED Message Centers in residential areas and the sign was taller than allowed.  A variance could be approved to allow the extra height, but not for the message center.  The church had to wait for the Sign Ordinance to be modified to allow message centers for churches and government buildings in residential areas.  Then Signs and More got the height Variance and Sign Permit approved and production could begin!

The design called for a Logobox on top with day/night vinyl on the letters.  During the day, the letters are black and at night they shine up as white light.  We added the Electronic Message Centers, 3-D Letters and matching stones to the existing concrete base.

Midway-Pres-EMC-3D-Letters.jpg

The final result is an up-to-date sign that matches their building and allows the church to program the messages and graphics in advance. 


At Signs and More, Inc, we make the most of your purchase, trying to keep it as economical as possible. We use our expertise to take advantage of what the customer already has so we can keep  costs down. In Midway’s case we used the old concrete monument as the  structure for the new sign. We can provide our customers with replicas of what the sign is going to look like.

If you are looking for a custom monument sign or an update to your existing sign, contact Signs and More at 770-383-8808 for a free estimate!

Tags: Monument Signs, Church Signs Atlanta, Electronic Message Center