Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jacksonville)

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is a historic Catholic church in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. A parish church in the Diocese of St. Augustine, it represents Jacksonville's oldest Catholic congregation. The current building, dating to 1910, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992 as the Church of the Immaculate Conception, and was named a minor basilica in 2013. It is located at 121 East Duval Street; its current pastor is Father Nick Bennett.

Basilica of the
Immaculate Conception
Location121 E. Duval St.
Jacksonville, Florida
CountryUnited States
DenominationCatholic Church
Websitewww.icjax.org
History
StatusBasilica/Parish
Founded1845
DedicationImmaculate Conception
DedicatedDecember 8, 1910
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)M. H. Hubbard
StyleGothic Revival
Years built1907–1910
Specifications
Number of spiresTwo
Administration
DioceseSt. Augustine
Clergy
Bishop(s)Most Rev. Erik T. Pohlmeier
Pastor(s)Very Rev. Nick Bennett (as of July 1, 2023)
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jacksonville) is located in Florida
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jacksonville)
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jacksonville) is located in the United States
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jacksonville)
Coordinates30°19′44″N 81°39′19″W
Arealess than one acre
Built byHalsema-Woodcock Co.
MPSDowntown Jacksonville MPS
NRHP reference No.92001695[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 30, 1992

History
Ruins of the Church of the Immaculate Conception after the Great Fire of 1901

The congregation was established in about 1845 as a mission of the Catholic parish of Savannah in Georgia, and the first church building was constructed by 1847. Immaculate Conception was designated its own parish in 1854, but the original building was destroyed by Union forces during the American Civil War. A second building was planned shortly after Jacksonville became part of the newly created Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in 1870, and was completed in 1874. This was destroyed along with most of downtown Jacksonville in the Great Fire of 1901.[2]

The current building was designed in 1905 by architect M. H. Hubbard, also the designer of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church. Construction began in 1907 and completed on December 8, 1910, when the building was dedicated. The structure is an example of Late Gothic Revival architecture, considered one of the best such examples in Florida, featuring a cruciform floor plan, pointed arches, tracery on the windows, buttresses and pinnacles, high spires, and a high vault on the interior. The building's 178.5-foot (54.4 m) steeple, topped by a gold-plated cross, was the highest point in the city for three years until the Heard National Bank Building was finished in 1913.[2]

In 1979, the church received solemn dedication, meaning the structure cannot be demolished willfully or converted to another purpose besides a church.[2] On December 30, 1992, it was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[1] Beginning in 2005 the church sought designation as a minor basilica from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments due to its history. The request was renewed in 2013 by Bishop Felipe de Jesús Estévez and granted; the designation was announced on August 15, 2013.[3]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Wood, Wayne (1992). Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage. University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-0953-7.
  3. "Jacksonville's Immaculate Conception named a Minor Basilica". The Florida Times-Union. August 15, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
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