Old St. Rita Colored Mission Church
N 29° 01.485 W 080° 55.973
17R E 506535 N 3210729
The old St. Rita Colored Mission Church building was constructed in 1899 in New Smyrna Beach and was one of the few houses of worship for black Roman Catholics in this area.
Waymark Code: WM6W3V
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 07/26/2009
Views: 21
The marker text reads as follows:
The olf St. Rita's Catholic Church Mission Building is one of the oldest surviving church buildings in the city. It was built in 1899 as the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of New Smyrna Beach, moved to this site in 1956 to serve the colored Catholics in the Westside Community, and was named St. Rita's Colored Mission Church. The building represents an important architectural landmark. The distinctive belfry, wood shingles in the gable end and pointed arch molding on the windows represent important architectural characteristics. After integration in 1969, the Diocese of Orlando converted the church into a neighborhood clinic and day care facility. The former church served that function until 1980, when the city condemned it in 1991. A committee of citizens, organized by Father Rudi Cleare of the Orlando Diocese, supported by Mark Rokowski, city planner and chaired by Mary Harrell, a retired educator and founder of the Black Heritage Festival, received state grants in 1997-98. These grants, coupled with private donations, funded the restorations, completed in 1999. The Orlando Diocese deeded the building and grounds to the Black Heritage Festival in 1999. The building currently serves as the Black Heritage Museum.
Marker Number: F-632
Date: 2008
County: Volusia
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Black Heritage Festival of New Smyrna, Inc. and the Florida Department of State
Website: [Web Link]
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