Memorial Presbyterian Church

Among St. Augustine’s many historic landmarks is Memorial Presbyterian Church on Sevilla Street. The striking Venetian Renaissance edifice that stands today, patterned after St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, was completed in 1890. The congregation—rightfully credited as “Florida’s first Presbyterians”—was established in 1824. The church also is called Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. It is located in the Flagler Model Land Company neighborhood, a section of St. Augustine established by Henry Flagler. Flagler founded the Florida East Coast Railway, extending from St. Augustine to Key West, in the late 19th Century. He started the Model Land Company in 1896 to oversee his extensive real estate holdings. The current church is a memorial Flagler financed in memory of his daughter, who died at birth. Flagler and several relatives were laid to rest in a mausoleum on the grounds. John Carrere and Thomas Hastings were the architects engaged to design Flagler’s memorial opus. The builders promised “the finest and most costly house of worship south of Washington, DC.” St. Mark's Basilica in Venice is a world-famous example of Byzantine architectural style. Like the nearby Villa Zorayda, now a museum, the exterior of the St. Augustine church is made of concrete and coquina, a material of crushed ancient shells. The Siena tile floor, Italian artists’ frieze terra cotta decorations, the baptismal font, and carved mahogany furnishings attest to the wealth behind the design and construction. (The stained glass windows were installed later.) The crowning exterior element is immediately obvious: the great copper dome topped by a Greek cross, reaching a height of 170 feet. First Lady Caroline Scott Harrison and Vice President Levi Morton attended the church dedication ceremony in 1890. The church today is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church-USA denomination. Docent-led tours are available Monday-Saturday.