In 1895, the people of the community came together and built the first church in Potsdam that was renamed Stuart in the same year. “This little painted white church and red roof with a tall steeple attracted people from miles around. It was the church for the whole community whatever their denomination, as it was the only church here,” wrote Mrs. John E. Taylor (Sara Josephine Kitching) in her article on the history of the first Methodist Episcopal Church in Stuart.
The building of the first community church still stands in historic Downtown Stuart, only without its steeple, which was removed somewhere between 1907 and 1920. The Florida Master Site File, the State of Florida’s official inventory of historical, cultural resources, lists the following state-assigned site ID number for the historical structure recorded at 311 Southwest 3rd Street, in Stuart, Martin County, Florida: MT00346.
We, Robert and Olga Hamilton, current owners of the building, have a mission to preserve this historical gem in Downtown Stuart, and, hopefully to restore the steeple. But we will not be able to accomplish the restoration and preservation without the community’s support. We have registered The 1895 Church of StuArt (DBA) with the Florida Division of Corporations and have opened the building to the public. Please stop by, learn about the building history, and enjoy the amazing art by our local artists. Every purchased helps our mission. The 1895 Church of Stuart is not tax exempt, and neither donations to the fund nor purchases from The 1895 Church of Stuart to benefit the fund are tax deductible.
Sponsorship and advertising opportunities at our events are available. The proceeds benefit the historical building restoration and maintenance. Please contact Olga Hamilton: olgahamiltonfineart@gmail.com; (772) 708-2968
Please follow us on Facebook – The 1895 Church of StuArt – for updates on the upcoming events and reports on our restoration progress. www.facebook.com/The1895ChurchOfStuArt
The owners of the historical building contact:
Robert W. Hamilton, Jr. and Olga Hamilton
olgahamiltonfineart@gmail.com
Thank you to the sponsors of our first Art and Relics Sale event in May, 2022, to benefit the steeple restoration and building maintenance.
Olga Hamilton donated her special edition artwork titled ‘Gathering at the First Community Church’ to Stuart Main Street. The artwork was auctioned off by KC Daniel of Associate Auctions, a second generation auctioneer, J.D., Florida Real Estate Broker, to raise funds for Stuart Main Street. A Big Thank You to Diane Freaney for the highest bid on this special piece of art! The original classic pen and ink drawing is available for sale to benefit The 1895 Church of StuArt restoration.
