The S.f. Travis Company

Side One: Founded in 1885, the S.F. Travis Company is the oldest continuously operating business in the city of Cocoa and one of the oldest hardware stores in Florida. Surviving two world wars, numerous hurricanes, and financial busts, the S.F. Travis Co. has been family owned and operated for over five generations, making it among the longest-running family operations in the state.

Built in 1891, the store was one of the first constructed after a fire in 1890, and Colonel S.F. Travis purchased it in 1902. It is the only commercial structure in Cocoa from this period still used for its original purpose and is the oldest brick building in the city. Travis expanded his operation with a second building in 1907.

He sold everything from groceries and furniture to caskets and appliances. The buildings’ exteriors have changed little since a 1924 renovation that added large display windows, the awning, brick facade, and second floor walkway between the buildings. In addition to the hardware business, this property also housed a mortuary, telegraph office, and at one point a small movie theater.

It was the first building in Cocoa to have an elevator and a sprinkler system, and was one of the first businesses to install a telephone. Side Two: Predating many modern conveniences and local infrastructure, the S.F. Travis Co. conducted much of its early business by boat. The company used a dock that came right up to the back of the store.

It made deliveries up and down the Indian River until the 1950s when the dock was removed and the shoreline was filled in for the Cocoa River Development project. The tools and building materials sold by the S.F. Travis Co. helped build Cocoa Village, the Kennedy Space Center, the Banana River Naval Air Station (later renamed Patrick Air Force Base), and many of the other neighboring communities.

The S.F. Travis Co. sold supplies that helped build the infrastructure for Florida’s space industry and continued to serve an array of customers ranging from defense contractors and aerospace companies to small businesses and homeowners. What began as a small local hardware store has made a lasting impact on the Space Coast extending far beyond the boundaries of the little village where it began.