The 1895 Church of StuArt is a historic building of the Pioneer Church in Downtown Stuart, and the oldest church structure located in what is now Martin County, Florida. The Florida State Historic Preservation Office – Division of Historical Resources notes that the property located at 311 SW 3rd Street, Stuart Florida (8MT346) appears to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Alice Luckhardt, the local historian and author, left behind a “wealth of knowledge” in her work to preserve early Stuart’s past for present and future residents. She authored four books on Stuart including a 2016 pictorial for the Images of America series which can be found at the Stuart Heritage Museum, of which she was an executive committee member.
Robert W. Hamilton Jr. and Olga Hamilton have made this historic property their home and opened the doors to the public. The owners are dedicated to the preservation of the first church building in Stuart, built in 1895, promoting not only local history but also supporting local artists.
Emma Michael Kitching arrived in 1894 – Pioneers of Potsdam (Stuart) and Martin County, Florida
A Cheap Way To Live. How a Florida Man Saves Money and Grows Rich, 1894 – Pioneers of Florida
Pioneering On East Coast of Florida
Contemporary tactile art by Horst Mueller, Stuart, Martin County, Florida.
Stuart’s First Newspaper
Ross Witham Beach, Hutchinson Island, Treasure Coast, Florida
History of The First United Methodist Church In Stuart, Florida
How and when Potsdam was changed to Stuart, Florida
The City of Stuart Small Cities CDBG – Oversized Replacement Windows
The City of Stuart CDBG HR Program – The Roof with the Fake Roof Ridge Vent System
The First Black Law Enforcement Officers in Stuart, Martin County, Florida
Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge, Stuart, Martin County, Florida
Mornings on Main Street
Original Fine Art in historic Downtown Stuart, Martin County, Florida
Louis C. and William D. McFarlan – Glass Negatives Stuart, Florida
Stuart’s Three Lyric Theatres
Dorsal Fishing Post – Stuart, Florida
Today in Martin County History – Julia Francis Langford Birthday
Fine Art by Katie Sottak at The 1895 Church of StuArt
Ceramic Art by Lorrie K. Goss at The 1895 Church of StuArt
Celebrating Historic Preservation Month!
Lester Jay Stone – Original Art For Sale
Beyond Van Gogh Miami – Ice Palace Studios
The 1895 Church of StuArt Presents Danuta Rothschild at the 2020 Martin County Open Studio Tour
Is it “Hem of his garment”? Not at all!
Explore the life and early times of Stuart, Florida through the lens of vintage images. Stuart (Images of America) by Alice L. Luckhardt is available at the Stuart Heritage Museum
Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities are available. Contact Olga Hamilton for more information: olgahamiltonfineart@gmail.com
The Small Cities City of Stuart CDBG
Under the federally funded Small Cities CDBG Program, after denying our requests for re-inspections and failing to investigate a lien with falsified dates filed by the CDBG contractor, the City released over $46,000 in taxpayer funds for destructive, shoddy, and even fraudulent work. To date, we still do not know who forged Mr. Hamilton, Jr.’s signature on a financial document to us provided by the City CRA Director after the funds were released. Since May 22, 2024, our project has remained incomplete because we refused to sign documents stating that “the payment to the contractor is just and fair” and to participate in what we believe constitutes improper payments and a cover-up of program mismanagement.