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A SHORT HISTORY of the TAVERN & CHAPEL in the GARDEN



Chapel in the Garden

Originally constructed as a community center in Port Orange, this historic building was built in 1897 at the northeast corner of US1 and Church Street. In 1913, the building was moved and for the next 84 years served as the Parish Hall for Grace Episcopal Church. When the church expanded in 1997, the building was once again moved, when it was given to Douglas J. Clark.



It took 18 months to completely renovate the Chapel. The century-old heart pine boards were removed, planed down, varnished and reapplied to the walls. The stained glass windows are new. The barrel ceiling above the pulpit was designed and built by Chuck Gittner. Chuck and his brother, Craig designed and built the bell tower which houses the impressive bronze bell that was cast in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 and weighs 1,050 pounds. The toll of the bell can be heard throughout the neighborhood and signifies a rebirth for a significant building with a proud local heritage.
 
In 1999 Tina Gittner began to have weddings in the Chapel and with her expertise in those early years, the Chapel has grown to become a very successful wedding facility, one of the most popular in the Halifax area..

Agatha’s Guesthouse

Agatha’s Cottage now serves as the guesthouse for the estate. Cornelius Christiancy built the original house in 1914. Initially the house was one of a number of such structures that were built as vacation homes for visiting northerners. Douglas J. Clark renovated the house and added a large westward addition in 1998. The lumber and beams used in the addition are century-old, recycled heart pine. The original part of the house has not been changed.
 

 



Tavern in the Garden

The Tavern was originally built as a residence in the 1920s and for many years housed the “Pink House” antique store before it was purchased by the Clark family in the 1980’s. The building became part of the Clark estate when it was moved 100 feet to the east in 1996. Douglas Clark, with the help of Chuck Gittner, built the large southerly addition. Much of the extensive wood work was done by James “Bo” Alvis. Atlas Welding built the extensive wrought iron stairs and railings. The Tavern was opened in 2002 and serves a banquet and reception facility for the Chapel in the Gardens.
 


Snow White Cottage and Gardens



This beautiful little cottage was hand built in the 1930’s by an engineer who owned the property. On one of his travels around the world he married a Japanese girl. When they arrived home he designed and built the beautiful koi ponds, gardens and cottage. During the 1950’s the cottage was boarded up and left untouched and the ponds filled and used as garden planting areas. In 1994 the Clark’s purchased the property and with the help of Chuck Gittner, the ponds and streams were reconstructed and the Pump House and water wheel were built.


 

The Sunshine Express

The Tavern-Lounge car (serial number 3002) was built by the ACF Company in 1946 for the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Railroad. It is one of the four Tavern-Lounge cars built for The Humming Bird and the Georgian train lines.

These lightweight coaches trimmed weight by at least one-third from their heavyweight predecessors by using stainless steel and aluminum construction. The new streamlined aluminum cars had bright silver corrugations on the bottom with a blue window band and grey roof. They were a picture of post war inventions with electric heat and central air conditioning.



Originally named Belle Meade, this car's interior was updated and it was renamed University Club in 1952. At 85 feet long and an empty weight of 115,400 pounds, it featured a tavern section with booths and tables and a lounge section with informal armchair seating. It had a capacity of 51 people. It ended its service in 1971 and was on display near Des Moines, Iowa until it was purchased by Douglas J. Clark in 2001. It was trucked to its current location by Venezia Enterprises, Inc. of New Jersey and was restored by Douglas J. Clark from 2001-2004.


Clark Homestead



In 1873, William and Thomas Allan purchased the land and built the seawall fronting the property. In 1905, the property was sold to Cornelius Christiancy who built the pioneer home in 1914 next to a landmark Indian Mound of coquina rock quarried from a nearby site. The Clarks purchased the home in 1969 and through careful restoration they preserved the original character and beauty of the home. The structure remains a classic example of early Florida architecture.