.gif)
All Saints Episcopal Church, Waveland (Jensen Beach, Florida)
Encyclopedia
All Saints' Episcopal Church, Waveland, is an historic Carpenter Gothic
church built in 1898 on Crossroads Hill in Waveland
, now part of Jensen Beach, Florida
It is the oldest church building located in what is now Martin County, Florida
. It is also the northernmost parish in the present-day Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida
. When the church was built the land it is on was in Brevard County
. From 1910-25, it was in St. Lucie County
. Since 1925 it has been in Martin County. Its rector is the Rev. W. Frisby Hendricks, III.
In 1963 the church building was moved a few 100 feet to a more prominent place (which now has the address of 2377 N.E. Patrician Street) at the top of Crossroads Hill. A new rectory (now the parish offices) was built on the old location, which now has the address of 2303 N.E. Seaview Drive, which is the church's mailing address. Since being moved, the church building has been added on to twice but care was taken to preserve its architectural integrity.
In 1989, All Saints Episcopal Church was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.
All Saints Episcopal Church is also featured in the 2009 Historic Episcopal Churches Engagement Calendar published by the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists.
, Missionary Bishop of Southern Florida, came down the Indian River
by boat to Eden and preached in the schoolhouse there. Later the same day he walked down to Jensen and preached in the parlor of the Al Fresco Hotel. That simple beginning resulted in the formation of two parishes: St. Paul's in Walton north of Eden and All Saints' in Waveland south of Jensen.
tracks. It is a lawn area and only allows stone or bronze markers which are flush with the ground.
granite Alleluia Cross and Outdoor Altar are located 65 feet east of the eastern wall of the church on the west side of the parking lot overlooking the cemetery and Dixie Highway below and the Indian River
to the east. They were given by the Rt. Rev. Wallace E. Conkling
, (1896–1979), retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
, in memory of his wife, Constance Lillian (Sowby) Conkling, who died on March 9, 1969, and whose ashes were interred beneath the altar.
The east side of the cross is inscribed vertically "ALLELUIA", while the west side is inscribed "JESU MERCI." Bishop Conkling was bishop in residence at All Saints' for many years and after he died on August 27, 1979, his ashes were also interred under the outdoor altar. The base of the cross is inscribed on the west side: "Wallace Edmonds Conkling / The Bishop of Chicago / 1941-53 / August 27, 1979 / Constance Sowby Conkling / his wife / March 9, 1969." The Diocese of Chicago
gave money to All Saints' to provide for the care of Bishop Conkling's grave.
The parish's Easter Sunrise Services are held there each year. Other services such as the Blessing of the Animals are also held there from time to time. The cross itself has a twin in the cemetery of St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers, Michigan
.
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
church built in 1898 on Crossroads Hill in Waveland
Waveland, Florida
Waveland, Florida, was a community in what is now Martin County, Florida. which encompassed all of Sewall's Point, that part of Rio lying east of Warner Creek, and that part of Jensen Beach lying south of N.E. Center Street, more or less.A U.S...
, now part of Jensen Beach, Florida
Jensen Beach, Florida
Jensen Beach is a census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,100 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St...
It is the oldest church building located in what is now Martin County, Florida
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
. It is also the northernmost parish in the present-day Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida
Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which extends from Key West on the south, to Jensen Beach on the north and inland to Clewiston on the west. Major cities in the diocese are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach...
. When the church was built the land it is on was in Brevard County
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
. From 1910-25, it was in St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County, Florida
St. Lucie County is a county located in the state of Florida. The county seat is the city of Fort Pierce. In the year 2000, the population was 192,695. As of the year 2010, the United States Census Bureau sets the population at 277,789.- History :...
. Since 1925 it has been in Martin County. Its rector is the Rev. W. Frisby Hendricks, III.
In 1963 the church building was moved a few 100 feet to a more prominent place (which now has the address of 2377 N.E. Patrician Street) at the top of Crossroads Hill. A new rectory (now the parish offices) was built on the old location, which now has the address of 2303 N.E. Seaview Drive, which is the church's mailing address. Since being moved, the church building has been added on to twice but care was taken to preserve its architectural integrity.
In 1989, All Saints Episcopal Church was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.
All Saints Episcopal Church is also featured in the 2009 Historic Episcopal Churches Engagement Calendar published by the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists.
History of the parish
The first Episcopal church services in the Jensen Beach area were held on November 23, 1894, when the Rt. Rev. William Crane GrayWilliam Crane Gray
William Crane Gray was the first bishop of the Episcopal Church's Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida, which had been split off from the Episcopal Diocese of Florida in October 1892.-Childhood and education:...
, Missionary Bishop of Southern Florida, came down the Indian River
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
by boat to Eden and preached in the schoolhouse there. Later the same day he walked down to Jensen and preached in the parlor of the Al Fresco Hotel. That simple beginning resulted in the formation of two parishes: St. Paul's in Walton north of Eden and All Saints' in Waveland south of Jensen.
All Saints Cemetery
All Saints Cemetery, sometimes called Waveland Cemetery or All Saints Waveland Cemetery, is the only cemetery in Jensen Beach and is non-profit. Although controlled by All Saints Church, it is non-sectarian and serves as the community's cemetery.Old section
The old section runs from Dixie Highway, S.R. 707, west up the hill to the church property. Upright markers range from plain wooden ones (which unfortunately are no longer legible) to elaborate granite and marble ones.New Section
The much larger new section abuts both the old section and the church property on their north sides and runs from Dixie Highway up and over the hill to the Florida East Coast RailwayFlorida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
tracks. It is a lawn area and only allows stone or bronze markers which are flush with the ground.
Mausoleum and Cremation Sections
Since the land in both the old and new sections that lies between the foot of the hill and Dixie Highway is too low for standard in-ground burials, it is now being used for Mausoleum and Cremation Sections.Alleluia Cross and Outdoor Altar
The GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
granite Alleluia Cross and Outdoor Altar are located 65 feet east of the eastern wall of the church on the west side of the parking lot overlooking the cemetery and Dixie Highway below and the Indian River
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
to the east. They were given by the Rt. Rev. Wallace E. Conkling
Wallace E. Conkling
Wallace Edmonds Conkling was the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and served from 1941 to 1953. He was born October 25, 1896, in Matteawan, now part of Beacon, New York...
, (1896–1979), retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is the official organization of the Episcopal Church in Chicago and Northern Illinois, USA. The diocese is served by The Right Reverend Jeffrey D. Lee, who serves as Bishop of the diocese, and The Right Reverend Victor A. Scantlebury, who serves as Assistant Bishop...
, in memory of his wife, Constance Lillian (Sowby) Conkling, who died on March 9, 1969, and whose ashes were interred beneath the altar.
The east side of the cross is inscribed vertically "ALLELUIA", while the west side is inscribed "JESU MERCI." Bishop Conkling was bishop in residence at All Saints' for many years and after he died on August 27, 1979, his ashes were also interred under the outdoor altar. The base of the cross is inscribed on the west side: "Wallace Edmonds Conkling / The Bishop of Chicago / 1941-53 / August 27, 1979 / Constance Sowby Conkling / his wife / March 9, 1969." The Diocese of Chicago
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is the official organization of the Episcopal Church in Chicago and Northern Illinois, USA. The diocese is served by The Right Reverend Jeffrey D. Lee, who serves as Bishop of the diocese, and The Right Reverend Victor A. Scantlebury, who serves as Assistant Bishop...
gave money to All Saints' to provide for the care of Bishop Conkling's grave.
The parish's Easter Sunrise Services are held there each year. Other services such as the Blessing of the Animals are also held there from time to time. The cross itself has a twin in the cemetery of St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 7,811 at the 2010 census.Three Rivers derives its name from the confluence of the St. Joseph River with its tributaries the Rocky and Portage Rivers. It is the home of St...
.
See also
- Episcopal Diocese of South FloridaEpiscopal Diocese of South FloridaThe Episcopal Diocese of South Florida was a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, which was created in 1922 out of what had been the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida, sometimes called the Missionary District of Southern Florida. which had been split off in...
, All Saints' original diocese.
Resources
- Thurlow, Sandra Henderson, Historic Eden and Jensen on Florida's Indian River (2004) Stuart: Sewall's Point Company, ISBN 0-0630788-6-0