The Episcopal seal of the diocese of Florida features seven golden stars representing the seven original Florida churches.
The former St. Joseph Episcopal Church in the Panhandle became St. James Episcopal Church, but they no longer worship in the original building. These are the six churches still in use today.
Trinity Parish Episcopal in St. Augustine c. 1909 and 2022.
In 1825, a cornerstone was laid for the Trinity Parish Episcopal Church completed in 1831, making it the oldest Protestant church building in Florida, and the first in the Gothic Revival style. When the church was expanded to the west in 1903, the entrance was reoriented to face St. George Street.
Christ Church, Pensacola, c.1897 and 2022
Old Christ Church in Pensacola is part of the historic Seville Square – but it’s no longer used as a church. Services were held there from 1832 to 1903. When a new Christ Church was built downtown, the old stained-glass windows were transferred there. Today it serves as a museum and meeting hall.
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tallahassee
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tallahassee was established in 1827 and in 1838, the first church was constructed as a wooden building of Grecian order with a portico and four pillars. Bishop John Freeman Young laid the cornerstone for a new one-story red brick Gothic Revival church building, and in 1881.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Key West
Completed in 1841, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was built with 450 pieces of native coral rock. The church was rebuilt after a hurricane in 1846, destroyed by fire in 1886, and the third church was completed in 1887. Another hurricane damaged the church in the early 1900s, and it was rebuilt in 1919 in the Gothic Revival style as it stands today, using native coral stone. The stained-glass windows were installed over 80 years, starting around 1920.
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Christ Church 1884 now Trinity Episcopal Church, Apalachicola
Christ Church, Apalachicola became Trinity Episcopal Church. This Greek Revival frame structure with ionic columns and a bell tower was completed between 1838 and 1841 using prefabricated parts made in upstate New York and sent to Apalachicola by ship. It was reassembled with peg fasteners instead of nails.
St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral 1909 and 2022, Jacksonville
St. John’s Cathedral was built after fire destroyed the previous churches on the same site. A small wooden chapel was built while plans were being made for a Gothic Revival cathedral. Rebuilt on the original foundation, construction began in 1902 after the Great Fire of 1901, and the church was completed in 1906.
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