Grace United Methodist Church (St. Augustine, Florida) facts for kids
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Grace United Methodist Church
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| Location | St. Augustine, Florida |
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| Architect | Carrere and Hastings |
| Architectural style | Spanish Renaissance Revival with Moorish elements |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003132 |
| Added to NRHP | November 29, 1979 |
Grace United Methodist Church is a beautiful and historic church located in St. Augustine, Florida. It was a special gift to the people of St. Augustine from a famous American businessman named Henry Morrison Flagler. The church is found at 8 Carrera Street. It was built very quickly, between 1886 and 1887. Because of its amazing design and how it helped plan the community, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States on November 29, 1979.
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A Special Church in St. Augustine
Grace United Methodist Church stands out for its unique look. It was designed to fit in with other grand buildings that Henry Flagler built in St. Augustine. The church's style is called Spanish Renaissance Revival, which means it looks like old Spanish buildings. It even has some Moorish elements, which are designs from North Africa and Spain.
How the Church Got Its Start
Henry Flagler was a very important industrialist who helped develop Florida. He wanted to build a big hotel called the Hotel Alcazar in St. Augustine. However, an older church, Olivet Methodist Episcopal Church, was already on the land he wanted.
Flagler made a generous offer to the church leaders. He gave them a new piece of land behind his first hotel, the Hotel Ponce de Leon. He also promised to pay for all the costs to build a brand new church. The church leaders accepted his kind offer.
Building a Unique Church
Construction on the new church began in 1886. It was built along with a house for the pastor, called a parsonage. The entire project was finished in just one year. The first church service in the new building was held on January 1, 1888. The church was named Grace Methodist Episcopal Church.
The church cost about $85,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then. The same architects who designed the Hotel Ponce de Leon, John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings, also designed Grace Church. They were from the famous Carrere and Hastings firm in New York.
Special Design and Materials
Grace Church was built using a special material called poured concrete. This was not a common building material at the time. The concrete even had shell pieces and sand mixed in. This made the church very strong and able to stand up to the weather in coastal Florida.
The church's design includes red Spanish tiles and beautiful terracotta decorations. These designs can be seen on the doors and on the church's tower. They are all part of the Spanish Renaissance style. Inside, the church's main worship area has stunning Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows. These windows are similar to the ones found in the Hotel Ponce de Leon.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, Grace United Methodist Church has seen some changes. In 1947, a house across the street was bought to be the new parsonage for the pastor. The old parsonage building was then used for Sunday school classes and other church activities.
In the late 1950s, much of the church's inside was updated. The walls and wood were cleaned and restored. The chancel (the area around the altar) and the choir loft were remodeled. New lights were put in, and a heating and air conditioning system was added. New pews, which are the long benches where people sit, were also installed. Even with these updates, the beautiful Tiffany windows remained untouched.
In 2011, Grace United Methodist Church joined with another Methodist church in St. Augustine called Christ Church.
