61 Olive Street

61 Olive Street - St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church 

We’re standing right here at 61 Olive Street, gazing at the former St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church, a sweet little sanctuary built in 1908 that’s got stories of faith, community, and a touch of transformation. Let’s step back in time and soak up the history of this sacred spot, now a private home, but still whispering tales of its past.

Picture Brooksville in the late 1800s, a growing town where Catholics were gathering for worship as early as 1874, when Bishop Augustin Verot celebrated the first Mass at the Hope residence on Easter Sunday. By 1892, a formal Catholic mission was taking shape, with Father Roman Kirchner riding up from San Antonio on horseback to say Mass at Linn B. Sanders’ home. However, the locals wanted a proper church, and in 1908, their prayers were answered. The Catholic Women’s Guild, a determined bunch, raised funds for this very building, constructed on a small plot sold by Robert J. Mickler from the Howell Estate he inherited from his wife, Mary Howell. The land, sitting next to a private family cemetery, was a spot others shied away from, but the Catholic community saw its potential.

This simple yet elegant building, featuring early 20th-century details like stained glass windows and a modest steeple, became a spiritual home for Brooksville’s Catholics. For 35 years after that first Mass in town, this church was where the faithful gathered, praying and building community until 1964, when the congregation moved to a new church on US 41. By the end of the 1960s, St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church found its current home at 20428 Cortez Boulevard, where it still thrives today.

What makes this spot extra special is its neighbor, the Olive Street Cemetery, also known as the Howell Cemetery. It’s not part of the church property but a family plot from the 160-acre Howell Plantation. Jack and Jeanne Lovelace, who now call the old church home, have poured their hearts into caring for this forgotten cemetery. Jack, a veteran with a big heart, kept the headstones clean and the grounds tidy for years, even placing a cherub statue to honor three young siblings buried there after their original marker was moved. The City of Brooksville now owns the cemetery, but the Lovelaces’ care shows the kind of community spirit this place has always inspired.

As you look at this former church, now a private residence, imagine the hymns that once echoed through its walls and the folks who found solace here. Its simple architecture and quiet presence are a testament to Brooksville’s early Catholic community, who built something sacred on land others passed by. So, let’s tip our hats to St. Anthony’s and the folks who’ve kept its legacy alive, whether through faith or stewardship. 

Citations

Former St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Brooksville, FL by George Lansing Taylor Jr., 2010, https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/1033.

The Conversion of a Church and Restoration of a Cemetery, Hernando Sun, https://www.hernandosun.com.

St. Anthony the Abbot Church Historical Marker, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=90513.

Olive Street Cemetery in Brooksville, Florida, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2493150/olive-street-cemetery.

61 Olive Street - St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church 

We’re standing right here at 61 Olive Street, gazing at the former St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church, a sweet little sanctuary built in 1908 that’s got stories of faith, community, and a touch of transformation. Let’s step back in time and soak up the history of this sacred spot, now a private home, but still whispering tales of its past.

Picture Brooksville in the late 1800s, a growing town where Catholics were gathering for worship as early as 1874, when Bishop Augustin Verot celebrated the first Mass at the Hope residence on Easter Sunday. By 1892, a formal Catholic mission was taking shape, with Father Roman Kirchner riding up from San Antonio on horseback to say Mass at Linn B. Sanders’ home. However, the locals wanted a proper church, and in 1908, their prayers were answered. The Catholic Women’s Guild, a determined bunch, raised funds for this very building, constructed on a small plot sold by Robert J. Mickler from the Howell Estate he inherited from his wife, Mary Howell. The land, sitting next to a private family cemetery, was a spot others shied away from, but the Catholic community saw its potential.

This simple yet elegant building, featuring early 20th-century details like stained glass windows and a modest steeple, became a spiritual home for Brooksville’s Catholics. For 35 years after that first Mass in town, this church was where the faithful gathered, praying and building community until 1964, when the congregation moved to a new church on US 41. By the end of the 1960s, St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church found its current home at 20428 Cortez Boulevard, where it still thrives today.

What makes this spot extra special is its neighbor, the Olive Street Cemetery, also known as the Howell Cemetery. It’s not part of the church property but a family plot from the 160-acre Howell Plantation. Jack and Jeanne Lovelace, who now call the old church home, have poured their hearts into caring for this forgotten cemetery. Jack, a veteran with a big heart, kept the headstones clean and the grounds tidy for years, even placing a cherub statue to honor three young siblings buried there after their original marker was moved. The City of Brooksville now owns the cemetery, but the Lovelaces’ care shows the kind of community spirit this place has always inspired.

As you look at this former church, now a private residence, imagine the hymns that once echoed through its walls and the folks who found solace here. Its simple architecture and quiet presence are a testament to Brooksville’s early Catholic community, who built something sacred on land others passed by. So, let’s tip our hats to St. Anthony’s and the folks who’ve kept its legacy alive, whether through faith or stewardship. 

Citations

Former St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Brooksville, FL by George Lansing Taylor Jr., 2010, https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/1033.

The Conversion of a Church and Restoration of a Cemetery, Hernando Sun, https://www.hernandosun.com.

St. Anthony the Abbot Church Historical Marker, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=90513.

Olive Street Cemetery in Brooksville, Florida, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2493150/olive-street-cemetery.