300 block N Palafox, west side
Marker #15
Christ Church (Historic Marker)
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Muldon Motor Company- Palafox and Wright
Belmont-DeVillers / Savoy
Christ Church, founded in 1827, was incorporated by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida in 1829. The first church, constructed in 1832, still stands on Seville Square. Later, Chicago architect John Sutcliffe and Pensacola contractor A.D. Alfred built a new church on this site at Wright and Palafox. The first services were held here by the Reverend Percival Whaley, rector, on Easter Sunday, 1903. The exterior of the building is unchanged since then, and its Spanish Baroque architecture reflects the city's heritage. The building's brick walls are covered with pebble-concrete stucco. A tiled narthex leads to the nave where wooden pews seat 600. The gable roofs have barrel tile surfaces and a copper-covered dome over the transepts. From the days of the Reverend Joseph Saunders (1836-1839), Christ Church has been involved in community outreach. Since then, members have been leaders in the city's growth and development. Historic Christ Church was the mother congregation of Episcopalians in Northwest Florida and one of seven churches in the state when the Diocese of Florida was founded in 1839. The present Christ Church was the site of the Primary Convention of the new Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast in 1970.
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Immanuel Lutheran Church, founded in 1885, was originally located at the corner of Baylen and Garden Street, in a wood frame building. Having a large German congregation, services were originally held in German on Sundays and English on Wednesdays. In 1912, a new church was constructed on W Wright Street in the Gothic Revival style.
Pictured | Immanuel Lutheran Church at the corner of Baylen and Garden Street, ca. 1890s, UWF Historic Trust
Just off the Trail: Belmont-DeVillers
Walking five blocks west on Belmont Street, you will reach the Belmont-DeVillers District, which has a number of sites on the African American Heritage Trail. This neighborhood has historically been the center of the African-American community, largely due to Jim Crow laws starting in 1905. There are many important sites, such as Abe’s 506 Club, the Bunny Club, Saber Club, and the Savoy Ballroom, which were important music venues on the Chitlin’ Circuit. Other important sites are the Kukua Insitute at the Ezra Gerry Museum, St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and the Polkinghorne Family Home.