History

This quaint, little wooden church nestled in Madison, Florida was originally organized in 1859. However, during the war between the states, services were held infrequently. A small group reorganized the parish in April of 1879 and the corner stone was laid in August on 1879. The church building was completed in 1881, completely free of debt. The building was consecrated May 27, 1883. In November of 1983, St. Mary's celebrated its 100th anniversary with a grand bazaar. The bazaar included singing groups, cloggers, pony rides, balloons and games for the children, barbeque chicken dinners, crafts, a parson's party, and a white elephant booth. Each November the tradition of the bazaar continues.

 St. Mary's Episcopal Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, and was designated a Florida Heritage site in 2013. 

One of the oldest churches in Florida, St. Mary's Episcopal Church is a good example of Carpenter Gothic architecture. This style of architecture is an adaption of the Gothic Revival style which was popularized in the United States by Richard Upjohn. 

St. Mary's is distinguished by its steep roof, scissor trusses, pointed arch windows and doors, and decorative stained glass. Major additions to the church since its construction include air conditioning, memorials, and parish hall extensions. In 2023, due to Hurricane Idalia damage, a new roof was installed. 

Before St. Mary’s Episcopal Church’s memorial garden was developed in 2016 by Gale Dickert, master gardener, a long dead magnolia tree sat near a rusty swingset. The memorial garden was beautifully crafted by Gale to commemorate previous members of the congregation. The garden is now maintained by Brenda Newman. 

The three tiered water fountain was a gift from Dale and Jean Stone.