By Meri-Katheryn Peed

Historic Memorial Presbyterian Church Is Open to the Public Again

If you have lived in Florida for any length of time you are probably familiar with the name Flagler. Here in St. Augustine, we have Flagler College, Flagler Hospital, down the road Flagler Beach, and many towns in Florida have a Flagler street or avenue.  What you may not know is Henry Flagler, the man who most people credit for developing the east coast of Florida by extending the railroad from Jacksonville to Key West, funded the building of Memorial Presbyterian Church and he is entombed there. 

During and since COVID, the church struggled to have enough volunteers to open to the public. However, beginning December, the church is setting new visiting hours and will be open Tuesday-Friday 9:30-3:30 and Sundays 12:30-3:30.

Memorial Presbyterian Church is an active church. It has 800 members and holds two services, 8:30 and 11:00, every Sunday since it opened in 1890.

The church was designed by Carrer and Hastings, the same young American architects that designed the Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Alcazar. They went on to design many buildings in Washington DC and NYC.

The church is a marvel not only because it was constructed inside a single year, but also due to its 92 beautiful stained glass windows, mahogany pews and screening walls, and 6,000 piped organ. The structure was fashioned after St. Marks in Venice Italy, and St Augustis in Paris, France. In addition to the sanctuary, the public has access to the mausoleum where Henry Flagler and some family members are entombed

Visitors can walk around the sanctuary, take pictures, and learn about history of this unique church and the Flagler Keanan family from abundant reading material or by a tour with a volunteer docent. Private tours and presentations are also possible. The visit is free of charge with donations appreciated to help fund church maintenance,

If you have any questions, please contact lead docent, Meri-Kathryn Peed ( MKPeed@aol.com )