Near Gainesville in Alachua County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Kanapaha Presbyterian Church
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, April 21, 2017
1. Kanapaha Presbyterian Church Marker
Inscription.
Kanapaha Presbyterian Church. . In 1857, a group of Sea Island cotton planters from South Carolina who settled near here called an organizational meeting to establish Kanapaha Presbyterian Church. The Reverend William J. McCormick (1821-1883) was recruited from South Carolina to be its first pastor. The first sanctuary was erected in 1859 on land donated by Moses Ramsey on the old military road now known as S.W. 63rd Boulevard. In April 1859, McCormick conducted the first servives and the church was formally organized. During the Civil War, Kanapaha Church fell into disrepair. A new sanctuary designed in the Gothic Revival Style was built in 1886 near the train depot in South Arrendondo, later called Kanapaha. Beginning in 1961, services were held in a building closer to Gainesville but the congregation returned to the church here in 1970, after restoration was completed. Kanapaha Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest churches in Alachua County, and still retains the original pews, kerosene chandelier, stained glass windows, and bell. The churches original steeple, badly damaged by hurricanes in the 1940s, was restored in 2001.
In 1857, a group of Sea Island cotton planters from South Carolina who settled near here called an organizational meeting to establish Kanapaha Presbyterian Church. The Reverend William J. McCormick (1821-1883) was recruited from South Carolina to be its first pastor. The first sanctuary was erected in 1859 on land donated by Moses Ramsey on the old military road now known as S.W. 63rd Boulevard. In April 1859, McCormick conducted the first servives and the church was formally organized. During the Civil War, Kanapaha Church fell into disrepair. A new sanctuary designed in the Gothic Revival Style was built in 1886 near the train depot in South Arrendondo, later called Kanapaha. Beginning in 1961, services were held in a building closer to Gainesville but the congregation returned to the church here in 1970, after restoration was completed. Kanapaha Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest churches in Alachua County, and still retains the original pews, kerosene chandelier, stained glass windows, and bell. The churches original steeple, badly damaged by hurricanes in the 1940s, was restored in 2001.
Erected 2012 by Kanapaha Presbyterian Church and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-735.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
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• Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.
Location. 29° 35.79′ N, 82° 25.378′ W. Marker is near Gainesville, Florida, in Alachua County. Marker is on Southwest 75th Terrace, 0.1 miles south of Archer Road (State Road 24), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6221 Southwest 75th Terrace, Gainesville FL 32608, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2017. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 276 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 4, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
