The Old Christ Church, also known as Christ Church, built in 1832 in

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

is a historic Episcopal

church building A church, church building or church house is a building used for Christian worship services and other Christian religious activities. The earliest identified Christian church is a house church founded between 233 and 256. From the 11th thro ...

. It is one of the oldest surviving church buildings in Florida. On May 3, 1974, it was added to the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. In 1989, the building was listed in ''A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture'', published by the University of Florida Press.''A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture'', 1989, Gainesville: University of Florida Press, p. 7, Located at 405 South Adams Street, the old church is now part of

Historic Pensacola Village The Pensacola Historic District (also known as the Seville Historic District) is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on September 29, 1970) located in Pensacola, Florida. The district is roughly bounded by Bayfront Parkway, Tarragon ...

and is shown as part of the daily tours.

History

In 1828, Episcopal Priest Ralph Williston arrived in Pensacola, Florida. Florida had recently been acquired (in 1822) by the United States; with the acquisition came a surge of missionaries. With some of the town's Protestants supporting him, Williston acquired a charter and the property to build a church. In 1829, the congregation was incorporated and in 1830, construction began. In 1832, the first worship services were held by Reverend Addison Searle. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, many of Pensacola's residents left. The church was used as a barracks and military chapel by

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

soldiers. In 1865, regular church services resumed. In 1902, a new Christ Church was built and the congregation relocated there. The old church was then used by a black Episcopal congregation from 1903-1905. In 1936, the church was deconsecrated and given to the City of Pensacola. The church then served as the town's library from 1937 to 1957. Since 1960, the church has been occupied by the UWF Historical Trust.

Excavations

From May to July 1988, the University of West Florida began excavating the church in search of the graves of three early priests buried in the 1830s: Reverends Saunders, Peake, and Flower. Contemporary church officials suspected that Union soldiers had disturbed the graves during the occupation of the church but historians did not agree. In 1879, the church was expanded and its original vestry, built in 1830-1832, was demolished. During excavations of the original vestry area, three burials were found. Although there were no burial markers, it is believed that the burials found were of Saunders, Peake, and Flower. The excavation also found the remains of a burned First Spanish building and wall-structures not reflected on any colonial maps.

References

External links

''Christ Church Parish'', Julia Yonge, 1927University of West Florida archives' records on Christ Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christ Church, Old Episcopal church buildings in Florida 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Churches in Pensacola, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Escambia County, Florida Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Historic Pensacola Village Religious museums in Florida Museums in Pensacola, Florida Churches completed in 1832 Churches in Escambia County, Florida 1832 establishments in Florida Territory

History

Excavations

See also

References

External links