by Joel Addington
Contributing Writer
The St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral sanctuary recently added some new features including the slate roof, antiphonal organ and three-inch thick wooden doors. But for Property Manager Robert Hyde, the real treasures are the Easter lilies.
“When the light gets to the west, they shimmer in a way none of the others do,” he said, referring to the flowers in a Tiffany stained glass window depicting Jesus Christ as the Good Shepard on the western wall.
Because the Gothic Revival-style church is laid out in the form of a cross facing east to west, the lilies only shimmer in the late afternoon as the sun is setting.
“It’s the traditional orientation for Anglican and Catholic churches,” he said.
St. John’s is one of seven Downtown churches built before 1925 that will be featured in Downtown Vision Inc.’s historic church tour next month. Others include First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Historic Mt. Zion AME Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and St. Philip’s Episcopal Cathedral.
A guide at each church will highlight the architectural and historical significance of the buildings.
At St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 256 E. Church St., tours will be led by church historians known as Docents draped in regal purple robes.
“Our stained glass is some of the best in Florida and they know all about it,” said Hyde.
The church’s three buildings take up the entire block but the cathedral is the oldest. It was first erected in 1835 on the highest point in Downtown called Billy Goat Hill. It burned down in the Civil War and then again in the Jacksonville Fire of 1901.
The cathedral as it stands today was built from 1903 to 1906 with the adjacent meeting hall added in 1924.
“It’s basically a traditional English, Anglican type church with hammer-beam construction,” explained Hyde. “It’s built like an upside down boat. That’s why they call this (the center) the nave, from naval.”
The office building is the latest addition, added in 1964. But the $1.7 million worth of upgrades to the church, including a new alter, began in the 1983.
However, like the Tiffany window, the old alter has been blended with the new one and sits off to the side near the entrance of Cummings Chapel, which was constructed in the 1970s.
With its cubist-inspired stained glass and geometrically-designed dome ceiling, Hyde said the chapel offers a stark contrast to the Victorian sanctuary reminiscent of Westminster Abbey in England.
Downtown Vision Marketing Director Pamela Elms said the historic church tour came about as a way to bring more people into Downtown.
“During ArtWalk, you have businesses, galleries and restaurants that stay open and everyone is out on the sidewalk going in and out,” she said. “That’s the same concept we want to have with this. We wanted to showcase what’s unique about Downtown. You can’t see this anywhere else in town.”
The church tour is the first event of its kind for Downtown Vision, but the organization expects it will grow in coming years just as ArtWalk has grown.
The Art Walk celebrated its fourth anniversary last year it drew 2,500-3,000 people, Elms said.
For the historic church tour, scheduled for Dec. 8 from 1-5 p.m., the most important thing is getting the word out, Elms said.
“Many may not have the opportunity to find out about the historical significance of all these churches, and certainly not all in one afternoon,” she said.
Tours will start and finish at the Jacksonville Public Library. A trolley will provide transportation along the tour route. Tickets are $5 per person (children under 12 are free) and available at the Main Library the day of the event or at the Dec. 5 ArtWalk in Hemming Plaza. Twenty percent of ticket sales will benefit the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition.
Free parking is available at the Duval Street Garage with library validation or at First Baptist’s No. 1 garage on Laura Street between Church and Ashley streets.