Memorial Presbyterian Church

St. Augustine had no Protestant church when it became an American town in 1821. At first a united Protestant church was favored. Many denominations sent missionaries such as Presbyterian Eleazer Lathrop, who first arrived in 1821. By October, 1823, the few resident Presbyterians had decided to build their own church. Rev. Wm. McWhir arrived to organize the congregation. In 1824, the First Presbyterian Church was constituted and a cornerstone was laid for a structure. That church, which was located on St. George Street, housed Florida's first formally constituted Presbyterian congregation until 1890. Henry M. Flagler, whose efforts greatly aided the opening of the east Florida coast for development, built the Memorial Presbyterian Church in memory of his daughter, Jennie Flagler Benedict, who died tragically in 1889. He presented the magnificent Venetian Renaissance style structure to the First Presbyterian Church. Upon moving in to the new building in 1890, the congregation took the name Memorial Presbyterian Church in honor of their benefactor. The remains of Henry Flagler lie beside those of his first wife, Mary, and his daughter in the mausoleum.

I had a wonderful experience at Memorial Presbyterian Church. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, making it a great place for worship and community. The services are meaningful, and the pastors deliver thoughtful and inspiring messages. The congregation is friendly, and it truly feels like a place where everyone can come together in faith. The church itself is beautiful, with a peaceful and serene environment.

Didn’t go inside, but the architecture is gorgeous with a beautiful flower garden around the church that you can walk through.

Beautiful church! I proposed to my wife here back in 2015, and we visit here every time we vacation in Saint Augustine.

Every year, the church hosts a spectacular Christmas International House Program, 🎄adding enchantment to the festive season. The beautiful decorations create a magical atmosphere. Beyond the festivities, the church actively engages in impactful charity work within the local community. ✨ The main building🏰 boasts some of the grandest organs, enhancing the orchestra's musical experience.

The church is nice but it looks more interesting from the outside than it actually is. The structure is beautiful but it isn't an impressive church by any means. It is nice to admire some of the relics and religious artifacts inside (especially the organ), however, it lacks detail. It was just ok. Free admission, $5 suggested donation

A beautiful church built by Henry Flagler in honor of his daughter, it's definitely worth a visit. The guides are knowledgeable and while the self-guided tour is free, I recommend donating a few dollars to help pay for renovations. Flagler, his wife and daughter and also buried here.

This is a very beautiful historic monument. The tours are limited to certain days, but you can always go to the church service on Sundays.

We walk by this church, from outside, it's massive! But it's not open for tour today. So we just walked around the building. It's pretty and very European!

Memorial Presbyterian Church, also known as Flagler Memorial Church is a beautiful, colorful blueish/greyish structure that is a must-see and is historically significant, as this was Florida's first Presbyterian congregation, established in 1824. Located on Valencia Street, it was built in 1889 by Henry Morrison Flagler, a man of incredible prosperity and responsible not only for several buildings of incredible beauty in St. Augustine, but also the railroad system. The church was dedicated in honor of his daughter Jennie Louise Benedict, who died following complications from childbirth the same year, hence the word Memorial. The church, like many of Flagler's structures (Whitehall, Flagler College, Lightner Museum), was designed by the New York architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings in the Second Renaissance Revival style and inspired by St Mark's Basilica in Venice. A novel building technique was used, which incorporated concrete mixed with crushed coquina. Terra cotta was used for many of the architectural detailing. Upon Flagler's death in 1913 he was interred in a marble mausoleum within the church beside his daughter Jennie Louise and her infant Marjorie, as well as his first wife Mary Harkness Flagler. In addition to the church and memorial garden grounds, the church sits on a beautiful lot with trees full of Spanish Moss. It is very peaceful. Tours are given only during the week and because of Easter weekend, the church was inaccessible for tours and closed. Even if you're unable to access the church interior, the exterior is beautiful enough to observe and photograph. In fact, there was a newly engaged couple being photographed here, which is why some of my photos may be somewhat crooked (I was trying not to get them in any of my shots!). I was unable to photograph the entire building's back entrance due to people hanging around the area and my friend not wanting to spend more time at the site.

Amazing architecture, touching history and welcoming atmosphere. Looking out onto the horizon at the top of the St. Augustine lighthouse we spotted the top of this awe inspiring church building. We headed over to it later to discover you can tour the inside, for a requested donation of a meager $1/person. The building was built with a "cost doesn't matter" attitude, as it was built by Henry Flagler of Standard Oil for his late daughter after she died. The story can be found within the halls of this structure. Ask questions of the attendant at the desk - they love to share the story of this magnificent church! It originally had a congregation of only ~40 people. 40! We hope to attend service here to hear the huge organ fill the room. I love architectural marvels, and this certainly is one to see! Can't wait to come back!

Amazing architecture that is awe inspiring and a photographers dream. Just a relatively short walk from St. George Street. The church was built in 1889 by Henry Flagler and dedicated in honor of his daughter Jennie Louise Benedict, who died following complications from childbirth the same year.

We love to take guests to tour this beautiful church. Our first tour here was wonderful but after visiting several times we see something new each time! You can take your time as this is self guided but there are volunteers working to answer questions. Ask them!! They have so much knowledge that couldn't possibly be included in the small pamphlet you receive at the front. This is one of the attractions I make sure to include in visits from friends and family as it is not only beautiful but also very interesting. I would say hold about 20-30 minutes on your schedule for this tour but be prepared to want to stay longer! :)

Awesome experience for those who enjoy history, religion, art, culture,etc. I've been to a lot of churches around the world, and this is one of my favorites. The architecture is truly unique for Presbyterian Churches, and the story lines behind the building is wonderful Donation of $1 is requested...

I didn't venture into the church as I wasn't dressed appropriately, but I did take a moment to explore the gardens. They aren't particularly grand but they are charming in their modest simplicity. And a dozen little benches gave welcome rest, if not shade. The gardens are a worthy diversion.

This church was built in 1889 by Henry Flagler, who is buried here along with his family in the attached mausoleum. The building was built by the same man who built the near by Villa Zorayda using similar techniques of poured concrete with use of coquina stone, used for many other buildings attached to Flagler in St. Augustine. I'm sure service in this church must be amazing, but I only visited to sight see for about 20 mins.

Awesome people with the decor to match!!!! It is very traditional, so be ready to sing hymns and wear church attire!

One of the most spectacular buildings attended for worship I've ever seen! I've been visiting here for years and have enjoyed excellent organ and choral music as offered on a weekly basis and sometimes during the week. If you're lucky, you'll get to hear the amazing pipe organ randomly demonstrated between Sundays. A must-see whilst visiting the City of God!

This is the most beautiful church I have been to. I haven't been to a lot, but wow. I was awestruck. The people who work here are really caring and professional. This is an amazing destination wedding spot. We photographed a wedding here and I would recommend it to anyone.

We have travelled quite extensively and this church is as good as it gets .... great sanctuary, unbelievable organ and knowledgeable docents all nestled in a historic, waterfront city. All in all, this is a very enjoyable visit.