Two of Downtown's most historic buildings also are two of Jacksonville's longest-lasting in terms of the local spiritual community.
First Baptist Church and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church were part of the city's rise from the ashes after the Great Fire of 1901.
First Baptist Church
The first Baptist congregation in Jacksonville met in 1838 and had its services in several buildings before the church at 133 W. Church St. was dedicated two years after the Great Fire of 1901.
While architect Henry Klutho is credited with the design of the structure, its appearance was dictated by the Rev. W.A. Hobson, who at the time was pastor of First Baptist Church.
Klutho was called on to provide drawings and plans that could be used by the stone masons who built the church with a caveat from Hobson: The church had to be finished for no more than the amount of money in the congregation's construction account, which was $35,000.
The interior of the building originally was one of its most distinctive features, with hand-painted murals by New York artist John O'Neill. The murals on the walls and dome were removed when the church was renovated in 1924.
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Downtown's Catholic Church traces its history back to 1845, when the local community was founded as a mission of the Catholic parish of Savannah, Ga.
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 121 E. Duval St. is the local parish's third building. The first was built in 1846 and later was looted and then burned by Union troops during the Civil War. The second church was completed in 1874 and destroyed in the Great Fire.
New York architect M.B. Hubbard designed the existing church, as well as Bethel Baptist Church at 215 Caroline St. in Springfield.
Construction of Immaculate Conception began in 1907 and the church was dedicated in December 1910.
For three years, until the 15-story Heard Building was completed, the gold-plated cross on the church's steeple was the highest point in Jacksonville at 178.5 feet.
In 1979, Immaculate Conception was designated by the Roman Catholic Church to be "solemnly dedicated," meaning the structure cannot be deliberately demolished or used for any purpose but a church.
(904) 356-2466
Facebook.com: Jax Daily Record