The Little Church by the Springs
(Excerpted principally from the book, The Mission by the Spring,
Stewart L Davis, Jr., 1988
Did it begin with God’s wonderful gift of the five mineral springs discovered by Hernando DeSoto on the Feast of Pentecost, May 15, 1537? Those springs, which he named "Springs of the Holy Spirit (Espiritu Santo Springs)" were situated in an area the pirate Gomez declared to be God’s Resting Place and it was there the Spanish governor, Pedro Mendez, later established a mission chapel.
These were the same springs which attracted Count Odette Philippe, the first permanent resident, in 1823 to a location which was to become known as Green Springs.
Also among those attracted by the springs was a colonel stationed at Fort Brooke in Tampa. In 1855, Colonel William J. Bailey purchased the surrounding land from the U.S. government during Millard Filmore’s term as President. Sometime later in the 1890’s Colonel Bailey’s daughter, Virginia, her husband, Captain James Felix Tucker, and their children moved to the area.
Certainly the Holy Spirit was working in the hearts of this dedicated Tucker family and others such as the Booths when they held church services in their homes whenever a priest was available. In those days the availability of a priest involved a very difficult boat trip from Tampa.
The springs continued to attract people. A few cottages were built around them, but most camped in tents or built palmetto-thatched huts. Stores were built and the area grew. When it was time for a post office, the name Green Springs could no longer be used since it was too close to another, Green Cove Springs. The name Safety Harbor was chosen for the shelter provided by the upper bay.
In 1912, it was time for a permanent home for the church. So Captain James Felix Tucker and Virginia Hernandez Baily Tucker deeded the present land to the Missionary District of Southern Florida. On December 13, 1913, the land was consecrated by the Right Reverend William Crane Gray, D.D., First Bishop of the Missionary District of Southern Florida. On that day, with a small group of visionary people he "beat the bounds," marching around the perimeter and stopping at each corner of the property for prayers.
In 1914, the original church building was constructed from lumber donated by George Booth with labor supplied by the congregation. The design of the building was Florida Gothic, typical of Bishop Gray’s influence.
The first Priest-in-Charge of the newly formed Holy Spirit mission was The Reverend A.E. Cornish. He was the rector of St. Andrew’s in Tampa. Working together with Dr. Richardson, a lay reader from St. John’s, Tampa, he attended to the spiritual needs of the small mission congregation. Around this time, a spa was built at the springs attracting more people, some of whom, not all Episcopalians, visited the church.
Although The Reverend Cornish was still at St. Andrew’s, his presence in the area was evidenced by Philippe Parkway being known as Cornish Avenue. Also, two lots on Church Street were given to The Reverend Cornish by Captain Tucker for the construction of a home.
About 1915, responsibility for overseeing Holy Spirit was shifted to Tarpon Springs and The Reverend Lucas G. Fournier of All Saints’ Church was appointed Priest-in-Charge. The Rev. Fournier came down from Tarpon Springs each Sunday for a 3:00 P.M. service and administered Holy Communion once a month to a congregation of 25 to 30 people.
Around 1919, Father Rudolph Nagle, also of All Saints’ in Tarpon Springs, took over. Father Nagle was English and had served in India for many years. He was described as "a dear little monk" with the sweetest tenor when singing the Ten Commandments. It was said his Lenten discipline consisted of reading the New Testament in Greek and the Old Testament in Hebrew.
Records from that era show that the altar, communion rail and pews were given to Holy Spirit by the Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. A more colorful rumor has it that they were retrieved from the rubble when Ascension was razed. Other interesting gifts, although their dates and how they came to be here are unknown, included a chalice and paten from the church of the Transfiguration - "The Little Church Around the Corner" - in New York City.
The choir in those days was composed of one singer, Mrs. Nagle, kept company by one non-singer, a very young Isabelle Tucker. Isabelle sat with Mrs. Nagle "just for atmosphere:" and stayed awake on those sweltering summer afternoons by pinching herself.
In 1923, The Rev. Nagle retired from All Saints’ and took over Holy Spirit full time. These were the boom years and the church flourished. The congregation grew to as many as 75 people with about 40 children in church school, who had to answer attendance each Sunday with a Bible verse.
The communion wine in those days was made from Thomas grapes gathered from back yards. On Good Friday everyone fasted until after the three-hour service and a raw egg was provided in the vestry for an exhausted Father Nagle.
Card parties of 30 to 40 tables were not uncommon. Food sales held each week were well attended by people from a wide area and generated substantial sums of money for the church.
The Baby Boom and a New Church
By 1946 the congregation had grown to 25 to 30 regulars. A retired army building was acquired as the first parish hall. And a young Phil Pendleton returned from the Air Corps, was confirmed and started with his bride, Terry, their long and faithful service to the church, continuing to this day. The Vestry in those days was composed of just three members.
While the congregation was not very large, it was closely knit and the members worked hard. Among other things, rummage sales were held using items which were left over from larger sales held by the Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. During those years, a group of people residing in what was known as the Main Court would pass around a green bag for contributions to support the church.
It was in 1946 that Father Charnock was transferred to St. Bartholomew's in St. Petersburg. However, he kept charge of Safety Harbor and came every Sunday for a 9:30 A.M. service, after a 7:30 A.M. service in St. Petersburg. Then he would return to St. Petersburg for one at 11:00 A.M. In those days the running time between churches was only twenty-three minutes. One of the interesting stories of that period involved the transportation of acolytes between St. Bartholomew's and Holy Spirit. There was much competition among them to serve, since Mr. Briscoe would fly them back and forth in his airplane.
Father Charnock had to relinquish Holy Spirit in 1949. During the next four to five years, the church was somewhat dormant. It was supported by a strong Lay Readers' organization with a Communion Mass whenever a priest was available. Fathers Charlton and Ball were in attendance fairly often, as well as Father Mann from the Church of the Ascension.
During these years, the only reported near calamity to the physical presence of the church building occurred. One cold winter day, Terry Pendleton was having difficulty lighting the oil furnace in the church. She tried several times without success. As she reached to light it once more, a fiery squirrel leaped from the furnace. With its tail ablaze, Terry - broom in hand - gave chase among the pews and finally chased it out the door. Not quite a descending dove, but certainly tongues of fire!
In 1954 The Reverend Murray H. Voth was ordained in the church on Christmas Eve and then took charge of the Mission. For the next three years, Holy Spirit grew substantially to its largest congregation of about 200 people. The women of the church, united in what was then known as the Eugenia Goodrich Auxiliary, paid the priest's salary. Money was raised by card parties held at the Safety Harbor Hotel, and from rummage sales, fish fries and bake sales.
In 1955, the old army building, which served as the parish hall, was moved to the back of the church grounds. A new parish hall was erected at a cost of about $20,000. Ultimately, it was to be adorned by the large cross, built by Phil Pendleton, on the exterior wall facing Philippe Parkway. Things progressed so well in those years that the Church of the Good Samaritan in Clearwater was started as a new mission by Holy Spirit.
The Reverend Voth left in 1957 to become a Navy chaplain and was replaced by The Reverend A. R. McKinley who had been an African missionary. He has been described as a very stern priest. Father McKinley stayed only one year and was succeeded by The Reverend Arthur E. Tavener.
Father Tavener was replaced in 1962. At this time, the church congregation scattered and only a handful of the faithful remained. These were dark days for the church after seeing the possibility of parish status within reach. Once again The Reverend Arnold Charnock was appoiinted by the Bishop to pick up the pieces and preserve Holy Spirit as a viable mission. Father Charnock was greeted the first Sunday by a church full of Safety Harbor residents, curious to see who had been appointed. The following Sunday hardly anyone appeared. For many years it was a struggle just to keep the mission functioning. In 1962, there was a total of $6.03 in the treasury and many unpaid bills, some of which had been outstanding for years. During the following years, the faithful continued their dedication to Holy Spirit and a small united spiritual family developed.
One memorable event about this time was the installation of the unusual windows in the church which were given in memory of Dr. Franklin Ball, a vestryman, by his wife.
Severe physical problems forced Father Charnock to retire suddenly in 1973. The Reverend Walter P. Plumley served as Priest-in-Charge for three months until The Reverend Herbert Barsale was appointed Vicar. Father Barsale had been a Professor of Theology in Connecticut. A heart attack forced his retirement and he came to Florida where he worked as an auditor at the Safety Harbor Hotel before taking a church. He presided over the mission until 1977. There was practically no further growth in the congregation during those years. If anything, membership declined somewhat.
In 1977, with the future existence of the mission in doubt, Bishop Haynes appointed The Reverend Anthony W. VanHam as Vicar. Father VanHam was born in Holland and served in the Dutch underground during World War II. After years spent on merchant ships and then in the banking industry, he was called to study for Holy Orders. He was ordained Priest in December, 1971. After serving successfully as Vicar of St. Anselm's in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and as Rector of the Church of St. John the Divine in Ruskin, Florida, he was asked to come to Holy Spirit.
The time was ripe for the preservation of the mission and for growth since a number of housing developments had been started in and around Safety Harbor. The entire area was on the threshold of a population explosion. It was apparent that some building expansion was needed if the church was to accommodate the needs of the fast growing area and to attract the new generation of resident. Several options were considered before deciding to build a new church at the existing location. Certainly, the Vestry had deep faith to embark on this building program for the still relatively small mission. After much time, effort and paperwork, a number of church-related loans were obtained from vaious sources. With these funds, together with some volunteer labor, it seemed that construction of a new church was possible. So it was that in 1978 the old church building was jacked up, put on a flat bed truck, moved out onto 1st Avenue North and then up the street to the back of the property.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September, 1978 and, after some delays, the new building construction started on the site vacated by the historic old church. About this time, additions were also made to the parish hall. A beautiful new altar was lovingly constructed by Ernest Albert and the new church was ready for its first service in August, 1979. Now the property consisted of three buildings embracing a courtyard with a statue of St. Francis and a church bell as a focal point.
(To be continued)