Saturday, November 17, 2007

Prominent Guests at the Flagler Memorial Church Opening

One of the most famous buildings in St. Augustine is the Flagler Memorial Church, also called First Presbyterian Church. As many other buildings of the city it was built by Henry Flagler, the most prominent person in Florida's development.
Flagler ordered the construction of the church in 1889, shortly after his daughter had died on March 25 that same year. The church was finished within a year, and the opening ceremony held on March 16,1890. While researching the church I came across the interesting fact that the guests of the opening ceremony also included Mr. Benjamin Harrison (the First Lady) and the United States Vice-President Levi P. Morton. This can be explained by the fact that Flagler was a very popular and influential man even in the north. However, I still found it rare that the church dedication would include such prominent guests.

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