Sacred St. Augustine

A Photographic Walking Tour of 16 Historic St. Augustine Places of Worship
Written and Photographed by Jackie Kramer
Foreword by Fr. Thomas S. Willis

Grace United
Methodist Church
When George L. Atkins arrived with his family from New Jersey in 1881 to purchase the Old
Florida House Hotel, he soon discovered that there were no Methodist churches serving
the white population. He thus formed a congregation that would eventually become Grace
United Methodist. In their formative years, they gathered for services in space offered by
the black Methodist church in town. A few years and a few moves later, their first pastor,
Rev. Samuel D. Payne, raised enough money to start construction of their own house
of worship, known then as the Olivet Methodist Episcopal Church. The location of this
church happened to be in the midst of Henry Flagler’s hotels, the Hotel Ponce de Leon
(now Flagler College), the Hotel Alcazar (now the Lightner Museum), and the Casa Monica
Hotel. Because Flagler envisioned this area as a central courtyard, he offered them a trade:
land at the corner of Cordova and Carrera Streets, along with construction of a whole new
church and parsonage. The congregation gratefully accepted Flagler’s offer, whereupon
he contracted architects John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, and builders James McGuire
and Joseph McDonald (also responsible for the Hotel Ponce de Leon, Hotel Alcazar, and
Memorial Presbyterian), to design and construct the buildings. Grace United Methodist
Church was dedicated in 1888.
p Built in the Spanish Renaissance
style, terra cotta spires and
archways reflect the decorative
themes featured on the Hotel
Ponce de Leon (Flagler College),
with flumes, griffins, and fish
swimming in rippled water.
p Major renovations and extensive restoration were undertaken in the sanctuary in 2000.
In 2002 the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation bestowed Grace United Methodist
and architect Kenneth R. Smith a prestigious Florida Preservation Award.
12
p The pulpit is carved in
sumptuous wood, with cherubs
adorning the sounding board
above, reminiscent of those at
the Hotel Ponce de Leon.

ING ST.
PONCE D
MALAGA ST.
LEMON ST.
ALMERIA ALMERIA ST. ST.
OVIEDO ST.
LORIDA LORIDA ST. ST.
RIBERIA ST.
MULVEY ST.
BRAVO ST.
RIBERIA ST.
WEEDEN ST.
SANFORD ST.
BRIDGE ST.
CEDAR CEDAR ST. ST.
LA LA QUINTA QUINTA PL. PL.
KING ST.
M. L. KING AVE.
VALENCIA ST.
6
SEVILLA ST.
CARRERA ST.
SEVILLA ST.
SEVILLA ST.
5
SARAGOSSA ST.
ORANGE ST.
CORDOVA
DE DE HAVEN HAVEN ST. ST.
L. KING AVE.
PARK PARK PL. PL.
The chandelier hanging above the chapel
resembles the original fixture that hung in the
dining hall of the Hotel Ponce de Leon.
ST. FRANCIS ST.
DUMAS ST.
ONEIDA ST.
BRIDGE ST.
WASHINGTON ST.
DESOTO ST.
GRANADA ST.
CEDAR ST.
Lightner
Museum
FlablerCollege
FlaglerCollege
(formerly Hotel
Ponce de Leon)
CATHE
CORDOVA ST.
4
SPANISH ST.
13
CUN

Ancient City Baptist Church
Ancient City Baptist was originally founded in 1885. In 1894, the State Board of Missions
sent Dr. J. G. Johnson to reorganize the church and build a house of worship. Surprisingly,
it was at his first service, held in the St. Johns County Courthouse, that an offer from Henry
M. Flagler was announced. The generous donation came in the form of property for their
MALAGA ST.
LEMON ST.
church site with the stipulations that, in exchange, they were to erect a building worth at
ALMERIA ALMERIA ST. ST.
least $10,000 (debt-free) in less than two years. They also had to agree with the prohibition
PONCE DE LEON BLVD. / US-1
OVIEDO ST.
LORIDA LORIDA ST. ST.
BERNARD BERNARD ST. ST.
of ever hanging a bell in the tower. The congregation accepted this challenge and today, the
elegant yellow brick building stands tall at the corner of Sevilla and Carrera Streets, with the
distinctive Norman spire at the original entrance.
RIBERIA ST.
MULVEY ST.
LORING ST.
HOPE ST.
ST.
LA LA QUINTA QUINTA PL. PL.
NG AVE.
KING ST.
VALENCIA ST.
SEVILLA ST.
CARRERA ST.
SEVILLA ST. SEVILLA ST.
FlablerCollege
FlaglerCollege
(formerly Hotel
Ponce de Leon)
6
5
4
SARAGOSSA ST.
ORANGE ST.
CORDOVA ST.
W. CASTILLO DR.
GROVE GROVE AVE. AVE.
EAST EAST LN. LN.
ROHDE ROHDE AVE. AVE.
p Lovely stained glass emits a
golden hue as light streams in
throughout the day.
FLETCHER LN.
FIRST ST.
ABBOTT ST.
CINCINNATI CINCINNATI AVE. AVE.
SAN MARCO AVE.
PINE PINE ST. ST.
LOCUST LOCUST ST. ST.
Lightner
Museum
CORDOVA ST.
SPANISH ST.
OCEOLA ST.
MULBERRY ST.
JOINER ST.
SHENANDOAH ST.
KING ST.
CATHEDRAL PL.
CUNA ST.
HYPOLITA ST.
ORGE ST.
ST. GEORGE ST.
WATER ST.
ARTILLERY ARTILLERY LN. LN.
S ST.
CADIZ CADIZ ST. ST.
INE ST.
CHARLOTTE ST.
AVENIDA MENENDEZ
Castillo de
San Marcos
Bridge of Lions
Pews have been reoriented to face the original entrance.
15

Take a Tour of St. Augustine’s
Inspiring Places of Worship
“In Sacred St. Augustine, Jackie Kramer not only takes
the reader inside historic places of worship in the
Nation’s Oldest City, but through the craftsmanship of
her art, draws the reader into the sense of the sacred
contained within these places. True to detail and vivid
in color, the photos are both accurate and imaginative.
I highly commend it.”
—Rev. Dr. Dudley Weaver
Memorial Presbyterian Church
“What makes this book unique is the genuine and
enduring relationship that Jackie developed with each
of us as she photographed our houses of worship in
a way that makes their very character explode off the
pages. St. Paul A.M.E., proudly featured on this journey,
welcomes the reader to Lincolnville, where history was
made and where prayers continue to be answered.”
—Pastor Ron Rawls
St. Paul A.M.E. Church
JACKIE KRAMER is a photographer who splits her time between St. Augustine,
Florida, and Anchorage, Alaska. Jackie has had a camera in her hands since the
age of 16. Growing up in Florida, she took advantage of the plentiful subjects and
spectacular scenery which the natural world had to offer. She is widely known for
her ability to capture flowers and their divine essence. Shortly after moving to St.
Augustine, she discovered the spiritual beauty emanating from the historic places
of worship and set out to create a body of work portraying them through her photographic vision. Sacred St.
Augustine celebrates these special places with her stunning and unforgettable images.
Sacred St. Augustine © 2014 Jackie Kramer.
Select images can be ordered at www.sacredstaugustine.com.
Distributed by Historic Print & Map Company
85 Riberia Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 • www.historicprint.com