Early on a Saturday morning...
Memorial Presbyterian Church
City of St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
12 September 2026 (7:52 am EDT).
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🙏 History of the church
— historical plaque (St. Johns Historical Commission).The city of St. Augustine had no Protestant church when it became an American town in 1821. In 1824, the First Presbyterian Church was constituted, and a cornerstone was laid for a structure. That church, which was located on St. George Street, housed Florida's first formally constituted Presbyterian congregation until 1890.
In 1889/1890, American industrialist, Henry M. Flagler, whose efforts greatly aided the opening of the east Florida coast for development, built the Memorial Presbyterian Church in memory of his daughter, Jennie Flagler Benedict, who had died tragically in 1889. He presented the magnificent Venetian Renaissance-style structure [with design elements of Spanish, Moorish, Italian, and Baroque] to the First Presbyterian Church. Upon moving into the new building in 1890, the congregation took the name Memorial Presbyterian Church in honor of their benefactor. The remains of Henry Flagler lie beside those of his first wife, Mary, and his daughter in the mausoleum.
Designed by New York architects John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings in the Venetian Renaissance style, the church was constructed using poured concrete mixed with coquina[sedimentary rock formed from ancient sea shells]. Many of the exterior architectural details were created with gold and white terracotta. The copper dome was created in Italy, the floors are Italian marble, the pews are carved from mahogany, and the baptismal font was carved from a single block of Siena marble. Stained glass windows designed by American artist Herman T. Schladermundt took twelve years to complete, installed in 1901.— Wikipedia.
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