Memorial Presbyterian Church facts for kids

Memorial Presbyterian Church, a historic building in St. Augustine

The Memorial Presbyterian Church is a beautiful old church built in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1889. A rich American businessman named Henry Flagler had it built. You can find it at 32 Sevilla Street. Flagler built the church to remember his daughter, Jennie Louise Benedict. She passed away in March 1889 after having a baby while at sea.

The Church's Story

Henry Flagler was a member of the Presbyterian Church his whole life. After his daughter died, he chose a piece of land very close to his hotels to build a new church. This church was for the Presbyterian group in St. Augustine, and it was the first one in Florida. Flagler gave the church building, the land, and the minister's house to the Presbyterian Church. In return, he received land they owned on St. George and Hypolita Streets. Flagler later built a city building on that land.

How the Church Was Designed

Like Flagler's other buildings in St. Augustine, such as the Ponce de Leon Hotel, the Lightner Museum, and Grace United Methodist Church, the Memorial Presbyterian Church was designed by John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings. They were architects from New York City. However, this church looks very different from his other buildings.

The church's style was inspired by St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. It has a Venetian Renaissance style and is shaped like a Latin cross. You can also see parts of Spanish, Moorish, Italian, and Baroque designs in the church. Builders McGuire and McDonald constructed the church using a mix of poured concrete and coquina shells. This was a common building method for Flagler's projects and other nearby buildings like Villa Zorayda and Casa Monica Hotel.

Building Details and Cost

Building the church cost about $250,000, which was a lot of money back then! Many of the decorations on the outside are made from gold and white terracotta. The big copper dome on top was made in Italy. Inside, the floors are made of Italian marble, and the church benches are carved from mahogany wood.

The special bowl used for baptisms was carved from a single piece of Siena marble. It has a message carved into it: "'In Memoriam—F. H. B. to J. L, B.—March 25th, 1889. I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. (Genesis 17:7)".

Important Visitors and Art

The church was officially opened on March 16, 1890. Many important people attended the ceremony. These included First Lady Caroline Harrison and Vice President Levi P. Morton. The beautiful stained glass windows were designed by a German artist named Herman T. Schladermundt. They took twelve years to finish and were finally put in place in 1901.

When Henry Flagler died in 1913, he was buried in a marble tomb connected to the church. His daughter Jennie, his baby granddaughter Margery, and his first wife Mary Harkness Flagler are also buried there.

Recent Events and Tours

In 2012, the news channel CNN listed Memorial Presbyterian as one of the top eight amazing religious places to visit in the United States.

After Hurricane Irma hit in 2017, the church's copper dome needed a lot of repair. This cost $3.5 million. The 900-pound cross on top of the dome fell off and made holes in the copper. The cross was taken down while the dome was fixed, but it was put back later. As of March 2019, the church was still being repaired from damage caused by both Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Matthew.

The current Pastor is Rev. Dr. W. Hunter Camp, II, who graduated from Flagler College. You can take free self-guided tours of the church on Fridays from 11 AM to 3:30 PM.

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