City Directories are published annually by R.L. Polk & Company.  Our directories include information for Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Placid and more recently Lorida and Venus. Although the Sebring Historical Society does not own a complete set of city directories, we do have directories for most years from 1956 through 1990 and from 1998 through 2008. 

 

The directories are an excellent resource for genealogical research. They list substantial information about local residents, including the person’s name, address, occupation, and sometimes employer; the person’s marital status; and whether he or she owns a home, rents, or boards.

 

City Directories are also a basic resource that environmental consultants use to conduct Environmental Site Assessments for clients who want to purchase or lease commercial properties. The directories list the names, the owners, and the types of businesses that have been at a particular location in the past. The information provides consultants with a lead as to whether these businesses might have released hazardous substances or petroleum products into the soil, groundwater, or surface water of a property or into the structure on the property.