Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 2, 2016

1. First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall Marker

Inscription.

An orange grove, once located at this site, played a role in the early development of Delray Beach. Until 1876, an old, sour orange grove was the only distinguishable characteristic within 60 miles of a sparsely inhabited subtropical wilderness between Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay. Settlers in 1894-95 who saw the grove that was partially surrounded by a rock wall, speculated that the trees were planted by Seminole Indians, Minorcan immigrants, or the Spanish, but its origin remains unknown. A nearby haulover (a location where boats were carried from one navigable place to another), the Orange Grove Haulover, was named after the grove and is found on 19th century Florida maps as far back as 1826. The U.S. Life Saving Service, established by Congress in 1848 to protect mariners, built the Orange Grove House of Refuge #3 in 1876. When potential settlers came to the proposed Town of Linton (later renamed Delray Beach), the keeper of the Refuge, Stephen N. Andrews, suggested that the main street, Atlantic Avenue, be placed between the House of Refuge on the north and the orange grove on the south. The grove, long gone, became

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the site of this Mediterranean Revival building in 1924. (Continued on other side) Reverse: (Continued from other side) In 1924, a local Baptist congregation built a new sanctuary on this spot. The church, the only one built on the Delray Beach barrier island, was considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the city. F.J. Schrader was the architect, builder, and financial underwriter. He said his inspiration was a picture and floor plan of a church in Florence, Italy, but that he made this church less ornate. In May 1924, he and a small crew, consisting of a carpenter, plumber, and electrician, faced a difficult task, especially with constructing the church’s large cypress trusses. It was said at the time that the church was “the most Floridian Church in Florida.” The original building was constructed as Gibson Memorial Baptist Church, but after the real estate crash of 1926 and the hurricanes that followed, the congregation was unable to finish paying Schrader. Five weeks after the 1928 hurricane, local Presbyterians rented the church, later purchasing it. After a new sanctuary was built in 1977, the original

First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall Marker reverse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 2, 2016

2. First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall Marker reverse

church became the Fellowship Hall for the First Presbyterian Church.

Erected 2008 by The Delray Beach Historical Society, the Robert Neff Family, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-653.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1924.

Location. 26° 27.64′ N, 80° 3.637′ W. Marker is in Delray Beach, Florida, in Palm Beach County. It is on Gleason Street 0.1 miles south of East Atlantic Avenue (State Road 806), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 33 Gleason Street, Delray Beach FL 33483, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida,

on the Gold Coast,

on the Treasure Coast,

and in Greater Miami.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall and Marker behind the shrubbery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 2, 2016

3. First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall and Marker behind the shrubbery

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: J. B. Evans House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Atlantic Avenue Crossing (approx. ¼ mile away); Nassau Park Historic District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Marina Historic District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Beach Dedication (approx. 0.3 miles away); Delray Beach Hotel (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Marina Historic District (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Delray Beach.

Also see . . . First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach. (Submitted on August 15, 2016.)

First Presbyterian Church and Fellowship Hall image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 2, 2016

4. First Presbyterian Church and Fellowship Hall

Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2018. It was originally submitted on August 14, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 596 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 14, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.