This beautiful sanctuary is surrounded by one of Florida’s most historic cemeteries. The grounds were the scene of heavy fighting during the Battle of Marianna and the church itself is sometimes called “Florida’s Alamo” because some soldiers fought to the death from inside as the church was burned down around them. The current structure looks much like the church that stood here during the battle. Buried in the cemetery are soldiers of the battle, Florida’s fifth Governor John Milton, noted 19th century novelist Caroline Lee Hentz, and the wife and son of Dr. John Gorrie, inventor of the artificial ice machine. The grounds are open to the public daily.
