Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Side One: In 1822, the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church added Amelia Island to the St. Mary’s Circuit. They appointed the Rev. Elijah Sinclair as the circuit rider, and early services were held in the Donald McDonnell home. In 1823, the circuit reported to have “21 colored members and 20 white members.” During the Civil War, most of the whites left Fernandina. In 1865, the Boston Semi-Weekly Advertiser published “Letter from Fernandina, Fla.,” which stated that “Sunday services are held only in the Methodist church. Rev. Mr. DeForrest (white) officiates. The congregations average about two hundred and fifty, and are attended by few white people. The colored people are constant and devout worshippers.” In 1866, the Rev. Joseph C. Emerson was assigned to Fernandina. In 1869, Emerson and his wife, Cecilia, transferred a tract of land in Fernandina to the trustees of what was then Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. The Trustees were Samuel King, Smart Dorrill, Henry Clay, Syres Walker, John F. Murrell, Joseph Scott and Randall Albert. In 1869, one of the witnesses to the deed, the Rev. January Felder, constructed the first church, a wooden building just to the west of the present church. Side Two: In 1891, the Rev. J.F. Elliot was assigned to Fernandina. He and other congregation members began construction on the present church that same year. The brick building was constructed in the Masonry Vernacular style, and included pilasters, gothic arches, and a bell tower. Floral themes are repeated throughout the sanctuary from the lancet stained glass windows to the pew entrances and ceiling brackets. Local historians say Trinity is “Florida’s oldest brick church built for African Americans.” Notable former church members include Nassau County educators Dr. William H. Peck and the Rev. Dr. William E. Pollen, Florida Rep. Riley E. Robinson, Chief of Police Robert “Friday” Smith, and Judge John H. Stays. Church members Margurite Sheppard, Florence Holzendorf, and Celestine Shine remembered the days when there were three services each Sunday with the congregation filling the sanctuary and the balcony. An orchestra, featuring a violin, played for the worship services. In 1973, Trinity United Methodist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource in the Fernandina Beach Historic District. As gateway to the district, it remains an integral part of Fernandina’s history.