Memorial Presbyterian Church facts for kids

Memorial Presbyterian Church is a famous landmark in St. Augustine.

The Memorial Presbyterian Church is a famous and beautiful church in St. Augustine, Florida. It was built in 1889 by Henry Morrison Flagler, a very wealthy businessman. Flagler built the church to honor his daughter, Jennie Louise Benedict. Sadly, she died in 1889 after having a baby. The church is located at 32 Sevilla Street and stands as a special memorial to her.

A Church Built from Love

Henry Flagler was a member of the Presbyterian Church his whole life. When his daughter Jennie died, he wanted to do something special to remember her. He chose a piece of land near his grand hotels in St. Augustine to build a new church for the local Presbyterian community.

Flagler gave the new church building, the land, and a house for the pastor to the Presbyterian Church. In return, the church gave him some land they owned on other streets. Flagler later built a city government building on that spot.

A Unique Design

Henry Flagler hired the best architects for his buildings in St. Augustine, including the famous Hotel Ponce de Leon. For this church, he used the same architects, a company called Carrere and Hastings from New York.

However, the church's style is very different from Flagler's other buildings. The design was inspired by a famous church in Venice, Italy, called St. Mark's Basilica. This gives it a Venetian Renaissance look. It also mixes in styles from Spanish, Moorish, and Italian art. The main church area is shaped like a Latin cross.

Building a Masterpiece

The church was built using a special method. Workers used poured concrete mixed with coquina, which is a type of rock made from crushed seashells. This made the walls very strong. The same method was used for Flagler's other big projects in the city.

The total cost to build the church was about $250,000, which was a huge amount of money back then.

• The outside of the church is decorated with beautiful details made from gold and white terracotta, a type of baked clay.
• The amazing dome on top is covered in copper and was made in Italy.
• The floors are made of shiny Italian marble.
• The pews, or benches, are carved from dark mahogany wood.

A special bowl for baptisms, called a baptismal font, was carved from one single block of Siena marble. An inscription on it is dedicated to Flagler's daughter.

The church was officially opened on March 16, 1890. Many important people attended the ceremony, including the First Lady Caroline Harrison and the Vice President Levi Morton.

The Church Through the Years

The beautiful stained glass windows inside the church were designed by an artist named Herman T. Schladermundt. It took twelve years to make them, and they were finally put in place in 1901.

When Henry Flagler died in 1913, he was buried in a grand marble tomb, called a mausoleum, that is connected to the church. He was laid to rest there with his daughter Jennie, his baby granddaughter Margery, and his first wife, Mary Harkness Flagler.

In 2012, CNN named the Memorial Presbyterian Church as one of the top eight religious wonders to see in the United States.

Facing the Storms

The church has faced challenges from nature. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, the church's copper dome needed a major repair that cost $3.5 million. The heavy cross on top of the dome fell during the storm and made several holes in the copper. The cross was taken down for repairs but was later put back in its place. The church also had to fix damage from Hurricane Matthew.

Today, the church is led by Pastor Rev. Dr. W. Hunter Camp, II. You can visit and take a free self-guided tour on Fridays to see this amazing building for yourself.

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