Dunedin in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel
American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, June 2, 2018
1. Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel Marker
Early Dunedin homesteader B. M. Brown and the Emerson family donated land for the construction of a church in 1876. Before it was built, John G. Andrews lost his brother William, who was killed while riding a horse during a violent storm. Andrews pledged $200 towards the church’s construction, provided that it be named Andrews Memorial Presbyterian Church in memory of his late brother. The original church site is the present location of the Dunedin Cemetery. As the Dunedin population shifted toward downtown in the late 1880s, the original church was dismantled and a new church was built on the corner of Scotland Street and Highland Avenue. Keeping the same name, the new church was designed in the Gothic style, and featured heart pine construction with a hand-carved beamed ceiling and pews. It was renamed Andrews Memorial Chapel when it moved south on Highland Avenue in 1926 to make room for a new Presbyterian church. The Dunedin Historical Society saved the chapel by relocating it to Hammock Park in 1970. During the relocation, the building was cut in half and later restored. The chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and is notable as one of the oldest buildings in the area.
Erected 2017 by Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board and the Florida Department
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the American Presbyterian and Reformed Historic Sites series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.
Location. 28° 2.07′ N, 82° 47.068′ W. Marker is in Dunedin, Florida, in Pinellas County. Marker is at the intersection of San Mateo Drive and Buena Vista Drive, on the right when traveling north on San Mateo Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1899 San Mateo Drive, Dunedin FL 34698, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Training Area of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibian Tractor (Alligator) (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dunedin Isles Golf Club (approx. 0.7 miles away); Dr. Willis S. Blatchley House (approx. 1.1 miles away); Dunedin's African-American Community (approx. 1.1 miles away); Dedicated to the Memory of Dr. Willis Stanley Blatchley (approx. 1.1 miles away); Oasis Park (approx. 1.3 miles away); Purple Heart Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); Orange Belt Railway Station (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dunedin.
Regarding Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel. Andrews
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, June 2, 2018
2. Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel and Marker
The following text is taken from the Presbyterian Historical Society website:
In 1868, Rev. Joseph Brown arrived by schooner in Clear Water Harbor. He gathered worshipers to form the First Presbyterian Church of Dunedin, organized in 1871. The congregation began construction of a church on Jerry Lake in 1876. The church, now known as Andrews Chapel, is the oldest Presbyterian church on the west coast of Florida. The interior features hand-carved pews and beams, with the ceiling styled like a ship’s hull. First Presbyterian Church eventually outgrew the original building and built a larger sanctuary. In the 1970s, congregation members and the Dunedin Historical Society joined forces to move the old building to its present location, at the entrance to Hammock Park.
Also see . . . Andrews Memorial Chapel. Tampa Historical entry (Submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, April 7, 2018
3. Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel Marker
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, April 7, 2018
4. Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
National Park Service website entry
Click for more information.
National Park Service website entry
Click for more information.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 439 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on August 15, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 3, 4. submitted on July 23, 2018, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
