Historic Preservation Streetwise 

Houses of Worship

Staff

Club-going had Its Place in the City’s Formative Years, But So Did Churchgoing. Guess Which Vintage Places Continue to Inspire Us as Time Goes By?

During the initial planning stages of Coral Gables, much attention was paid to a surprisingly broad range of lifestyle needs: residential, to be sure, but also recreational, commercial, educational, social, cultural, governmental, and, last but hardly least, spiritual. Houses of Worship and Churchgoing were integral to this vision, playing a crucial role in shaping the community’s identity.

As the son of a Congregational minister, George Merrick had a holistic vision for a master-planned development in sub-tropical Florida that was as much about community as it was about aesthetics. Homes, hotels, shops, restaurants, offices, boulevards, gardens, golf courses, schools, and churches were all part of a new purpose-driven mix. While Saturday night would have its jazz clubs, Sunday morning would have its places of worship. And amen to that.

As if to reinforce the city’s hybrid appeal, the design of places of Houses of Worship in the 1920s and beyond spanned the religious gamut – from Protestant to Catholic to Jewish to nondenominational. Here we highlight a few existing buildings — from grand to modest – and their distinctive interpretations of faith-based architecture.

Comber Hall at the Church of the Little Flower, 1251 Palermo Ave.

Designed in 1927 by Gerald A. Barry, today’s Comber Hall functioned as the original place of worship until the present, adjacent church was built in 1951 (also designed by Barry). Comber Hall is a designated historical landmark that is now a popular wedding venue.

First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables, 536 Coral Way

Built in 1926 and designed by William H. Merriam, this historically significant structure features a Schantz Pipe Organ that was installed in the main sanctuary in 1994, notably adding to the church’s already rich musical heritage.

Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Blvd.

Designed in 1923 and modeled after a cathedral in Mexico, this landmarked building was the first church erected in Coral Gables. the architects were Kiehnel & Elliott, who also designed El Jardin (today the Carrollton School), the Carlyle Hotel, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse, among many other treasures.

St. Bede Episcopal Chapel, University of Miami, 1150 Stanford Dr.

This simple modern chapel was designed by Marion Manley (the first woman architect in the state of South Florida) in 1958. The a-frame configuration has its roots in Japan, China, and Europe, with a U.S. surge in popularity following WWII. The dramatic shape is said to represent hands in prayer.

Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Blvd.

Designed by the celebrated architect Morris Lapidus and completed in 1966, Temple Judea features three distinct pavilion-like components representing worship, study, and assembly. It was designated as a Coral Gables historic landmark in 2013.

Granada Presbyterian Church, 950 University Dr.

H. George Fink’s 1974 design of the main sanctuary features a stately facade with tall columns topped by a wide pediment, conveying an overall impression of traditional architectural and Christian values.

Saved and Repurposed

Several of the city’s most historic houses of worship have thankfully been preserved and subsequently repurposed to serve 21st-century cultural and educational needs.

St. Mary’s First Missionary Baptist Church, 136 Frow Ave.

Founded in 1924, St. Mary’s was the first African-American church in Coral Gables. In 1958, architect J. Frank Bradley designed the building seen today as a replacement for the original wooden sanctuary. Recently, it was purchased and restored by Mike Eidson as a community arts center.

First Church of Christ, Scientist, 410 Andalusia Ave.

Two structures were built on the property (in 1930 and the early 1940s), both designed by Phineas Paist. A long-term lease for the later and larger building was acquired by Mike Eidson in 2019, and the repurposed and historically designated building is now a non-profit performing arts center known as the Sanctuary for the Arts.

First United Methodist Church of South Miami, 6565 Red Rd.

The original chapel was designed by Loyd Frank Van and John M Lyell. In 1948. it includes noteworthy stained-glass windows. The larger sanctuary was designed by William H. Merriam in 1962 and was recently purchased by the University of Miami to be repurposed. The property was landmarked in 2009.

Story written by Bruce Fitzgerald and Karelia Martinez Carbonell, president of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables. Photos courtesy  of Vicki Cerda