Palatka board backs Saint Mary's Episcopal Church nomination to National Register

The Palatka Historical Preservation Board voted to recommend that the City Commission forward Saint Mary's Episcopal Church's nomination to the Florida Division of Historic Resources for consideration on the National Register of Historic Places.

Renee Brown, who presented the staff review, told the board the church's nomination packet cites National Register criteria for architecture, association with important persons, and community significance. "The church is located at 809 Saint John's Avenue in the downtown business district," Brown said during the meeting. She advised the board that its role is to "make a recommendation to the City Commission for the approval of the designation so that [the commission] can then send a letter to the state."

Diane Taylor, who filed the preliminary questionnaire with the Florida Division of Historic Resources and is acting on behalf of the applicant, described research submitted to the state reviewer, Andrew Waber. Taylor said the state reviewer indicated the property met the criteria but requested additional material. "We met the criteria, the 3 criteria, architecture, and important persons and a significant consequence to a community," Taylor said. She described documentation about the church's builder and ties to the Purcell family and said the state reviewer asked for more detail, which she supplied.

Carol Knowlton, who identified herself as a Palatka native and a descendant of the Purcell family, described genealogical research that traced her ancestor John Purcell and his son Isaac Lawrence Purcell. Knowlton recounted travel to Winnsboro, South Carolina, to examine records and said she found family burial sites locally. "I started my ancestry research in 2018... it led me to Fairfield County, Winnsboro," Knowlton said. She told the board she located receipts and other records showing the family's carpentry work and local civic roles, and urged the board to recommend the nomination.

Board members spoke in support of forwarding the nomination. A motion to recommend the nomination was made and seconded; the chair called the voice vote and announced, "Motion carries and no opposed." The board did not record individual roll-call votes in the transcript. Per staff guidance at the meeting, if the City Commission concurs it will send a letter to the state reviewer, who will either accept the nomination or request further documentation.

Why it matters: A National Register listing does not itself change property ownership, but it recognizes a property's historic significance and can open opportunities for preservation grants or technical assistance. The application packet and public testimony highlighted architectural features and local historical ties to the Purcell family and broader Newtown community.

Next steps: The board's recommendation will be forwarded to the Palatka City Commission for formal approval; the commission's action will be the jurisdictional step for transmitting the nomination to the Florida Division of Historic Resources for final review and possible listing on the National Register.