The Owsley Tidepool
Old Florida
The Beginnings of St. Gabriel's Church
St. Gabriel's Church built in 1887
The first church in Brevard was established north of Sand Point, now Titusville, in La Grange in 1869 and attended by many of the Titusville populus. Then in Dec of 1871 Episcopal Bishop Young and Rev Holeman docked at Salt Lake and traveled to the Titus House where they conducted mass for about fifty the following morning. During the service Titus's three sons and his daughter were bapitized. Services continued to be held into the 1880s by traveling ministers at both the Titus House and the Wagner Hall.
In 1886 the Widow Mary Titus donated land for an Episcopal Church, school and cemetry. Money for the building fund came from many sources inculded Captain R P Paddington master of the Rockledge Steamer who solicited donations from his passengers.
L R Decker was employed to construct the new church. And in December 1887 St John Episcopal Church was incorporated during services at Wagner Hall.
In 1888 St. John's Episcopal Church was finished featuring a gabled roof, pointed arched windows with beautiful Victorian stained glass, and tall slender steeple at southeast corner of Palm Avenue. The first service in the building was presided over by Bishop Weed in September of that year. The church's first rector Rev. B F Brown was assigned in 1890.
The first rectory was founded in April 1895 in a nearby home obtained from William Brown and James Pritchard. And the Parish House and first Sunday School were added in 1900.
By then church which had become widely attended and respected had changed its name to St. Gabriel's Church. And steamers often brought near capacity crowds to its special services and social functions held by its Guild from towns up and down the river.
(from the History of Brevard County by Jerrell Shofner published in 1995, Borders of Paradise edited by Dana Ste. Claire published in 1995, Florida's Past by Gene Burnett published in 1991, Hopes Dreams & Promises by Michael Schene published in 1976, The Episcopal Church In Titusville by Rev Jack B. Horton, published in 1987, and Brevard County, Florida by John Eriksen published in 1995 and the website History - City of Titusville, Florida)
Titusville's
History Through Its Places
