Orange Springs Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery - United States Civil War - Orange Springs, Fla
N 29° 30.207 W 081° 56.695
17R E 408412 N 3264137
The Orange Springs Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest continuous standing worship center in the state of Florida as such it has served many functions throughout it's rich history.
Waymark Code: WMGMZG
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/22/2013
Views: 4
Orange Springs was founded in the 1845 by Colonial John W. Pearsen who obtained title to the lands surrounding the mineral springs called "Orange Springs." He laid out a town plat anticipating a thriving community.
Colonel Pearson donated land and materials for Orange Springs church in 1845. Local residents constructed the church in 1852. Its appearance than is mostly unchanged to this day. T his building has served multiple purposes throughout its history.
The church was attended by both whites and blacks. The slave galley located in the rear of the worship hall represents a portion of Black American History, as well as the history of the South in general. Reverend D.L. Kennedy was the first pastor and he organized a formal Sunday School.
During and after the Civil War, the church struggled to survive. As Georgia burned, the church became the last Confederate States Army Hospital. Aid and final resting places for the unfortunate were provided for both Confederate and Union soldiers. Confederate tombstones, alongside those of early pioneers, are still recognizable in the adjacent cemetery.
In 1982, the church was restored to its present condition and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places; as is the adjoining cemetery. There you can find the final resting place for local pioneers, Confederate soldiers, and unmarked graves of Union soldiers.
Address:
Cr 315 and church street
Orange Springs Fla 32182
Name of War: The American Civil War
Type of Documentation: Web Page/Historical Documentation
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