St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church - St. Petersburg, FL
N 27° 45.931 W 082° 38.320
17R E 338522 N 3072303
The octagon-shaped St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, has an eye-catching copper door with a lovely portal.
Waymark Code: WMA6FK
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 11/23/2010
Views: 6
"One of the most beautiful pieces of stone carving of all the South is located over our main entrance. A monolithic group carved in Ruckland refined rock made by the Ruckland Stone Company of Ruckville, Alabama, with a Romanesque setting. It is about eight feet wide.
The group of figures in the stone depict biblical history when three kings, the Magi, followed the star to the east to Bethlehem, and found the Messiah in the stable that "first" Christmas night."
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"The present St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Church was built in 1929 at a cost of $129,000. It stands majestically at the southwest corner of 4th Street South and 5th Avenue South on land purchased, in 1928, from the owners of the former estate of General Williams. The property dimensions are 200 feet by 210 feet. While construction for this third structure was underway, Mass was held in theatres and in private homes.
After seeing San Stefano Rotundo in Rome, Father O’Riordan envisioned building a round church in which the altar would be the central spiritual and architectural focus. He studied this idea with architect Henry Taylor but it was decided to build St. Mary’s in an octagonal shape.
Mr. Taylor had designed the Jungle Prada Shopping Center, the Jungle Country Club Hotel (now Admiral Farragut Academy), and the Vinoy Park Hotel. In 1924 he had designed a rectory for St. Mary Our Lady of Grace on Third Avenue South and later St. Paul’s School and Church.
St. Mary’s building, Byzantine in style with Romanesque features, has a brick exterior. A.P.Hennessy and Sons was the contractor.
Built during the hard times of the Great Depression, the elaborate structure of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace is an amazing symbol of the people’s faith. It is a traditional church – reminiscent of those in the northern states and is unlike churches built later with modern designs. It seats 1,000 people.
The church’s foundation is rock solid, and her two-foot thick walls are made of solid brick. Underneath the decorative wood, the roof trusses are solid steel.
The magnificent Italian and German stained glass windows include a large rose window over the entrance to the church. The Florida sunshine streams through the colorful windows to form glowing patterns throughout the church. The building has seven balconies, numerous grand archways, and marble floors.
Bishop Patrick Barry laid the Cornerstone on January 26, 1930. Major renovations have taken place in 1955, 1968, and 1995."
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