Chapel in the Garden, Port Orange, FL

The chapel, originally constructed in 1897, served as a parish hall for Grace Episcopal Church. On Saturday, October 11th, 1997 the chapel was moved the the Clark estate - where it still sits today. The 2,000-square-foot building was moved from Church street in Port Orange to Jean Frances Lane in Allandale. The one-mile move took AbOUT 3 hours to complete. During the move Ridgewood Avenue was closed to traffic in both directions, Florida Power and Light had to drop electric power lines to allow the chapel and its steeple to pass through. Bellsouth and TCI Cablevision also had to adjust lines during the move. The move cost about $15,000 and was executed by Youngblood And Sons Building Movers.

Developer Douglas Clark moved the building to his property and refinished the 100-year-old building. The Chapel renovation took 18onths to complete. The century-old heart pine boards were removed, re-stained and then replaced. The stained glass windows were replaced. The barrel ceiling above the pulpit was designed and built my Chuck Gittner, Mr. Clark's stepson. The exiting bell tower was built and added and houses a bronze bell that was cast in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 and weight 1,050 pounds. The toll of the bell can be heard throughout the neighborhood and signifies a rebirth for a significant building.

In 1999 the Chapel started hosting weddings and has grown to become one of the most popular wedding facilities in the Halifax area.