Spires in the Sun
Carpenter Gothic Episcopal churches built in the 1800s, when Florida was still the nation’s raw southeastern frontier, breathed the romantic sensibilities of England’s stone parish churches into a new medium: wood. Together with their Carpenter Gothic counterparts elsewhere throughout the nation, they elevated the American wooden church to new heights of historicity, imagination, and beauty.
Spires in the Sun: The Carpenter Gothic Episcopal Churches of Florida by Jonathan Rich offers the stories behind these sanctuaries as well as the men and women who built them. The author worked with photographer Phil Eschbach for over 10 years on the book, driving all over Florida collecting info and photos.
Attend the History Chat
Author Jonathan Rich joins us from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31 at the San Marco Branch Library to discuss the history of oldest surviving wood-frame Episcopal churches in Florida including the San Marco Preservation Hall, a historic 1888 Carpenter Gothic church located in Fletcher Park. An audience Q&A will follow the 40-minute presentation.
Note: A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site.
Register for this History Chat
About Our Guest Speaker
Jonathan Rich is a retired attorney who represented publicly held companies, major banks, and economic development organizations. Currently, he is chairman of the board of a national trust company. He has served in leadership positions for several nonprofit organizations devoted to the arts, job training, and the sport of rowing. He is a third-generation Floridian, and has studied Florida human and natural history for years. He is also the author of Spires in the Sun, which won the Florida Historical Society‘s 2024 Charlton Tebeau Award for an outstanding work of nonfiction about Florida’s past.
"With 'Spires in the Sun,' we gain a visually arresting and satisfyingly credible account, lovingly rendered, of an often overlooked yet wholly deserving corner of Florida's architectural and spiritual heritage" --Alan Bliss, Jacksonville Historical Society & Jacksonville History Center
Interested in this Topic? Keep Reading!
- Heart and Soul of Florida: Sacred Sites and Historic Architecture by Elsbeth K. Gordon
- America's Religious Architecture: Sacred Places for Every Community by Marilyn J. Chiat
- Historic Florida Churches by Joy Sheffield Harris
- The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals: Decoding the Sacred Symbolism of Christianity's Holy Buildings by Richard Stemp
- American Country Churches by William Morgan
- Anchors of Faith: Early Wooden Churches of the Deep South by Martha Dickson
- American Country Churches: A Pictorial History by Jill Caravan
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Watch and discuss the film during 1st Wednesday Art Walk at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, at the Main Library. A 30-minute conversation will follow the 27-minute screening with guest facilitator Martin Ramos, owner of Kona Skatepark.
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