The Carpenter's Best
By now you may have noticed that I have a soft spot for Carpenter Gothic churches in small Southern towns. Scant wonder, then, that First Presbyterian Church in Green Cove Springs, Florida, called my name and strongly suggested that I stop for a few photos.
It was built in 1888, and like most all of the structures within the Green Cove Springs Historic District, is considered local vernacular in style - meaning that very talented local carpenters and builders rendered their own versions of the prevailing architectural styles of the day.
In Green Cove Springs, those styles included Bungalow, Masonry Vernacular, Queen Anne, and Italian Renaissance, as well as several beautifully designed Carpenter Gothic structures.
First Presbyterian features elaborate spindle-work and king-post trusses, as well as picket style vertical board and batten siding, and a gorgeous octagonal belfry that is visible (and very difficult to photograph) from the opposite side.
The charm of Carpenter Gothic lies not just in the intricate layering of shingles, siding, and turned woodwork, but in the realization that the builders of these wonderful old places were pretty much flying by the seat of their pants. Every time I find a surviving piece of their work, I am reminded all over again that some long-ago carpenter gave his very best.
It is truly a beautiful church. I hope while you were in Green Cove Springs you ventured just a short way to see the Black Creek Methodist Church in Middleburg. It is a lovely chapel that was built in the early 1800's by a group of pioneers including my husband's family, the Brannings. It is not as grand but just as lovely.
I, too, love Carpenter Gothic. Milton has a sweet example in the form of an 1890 Episcopal structure. :)