Safety Harbor Church

Built in 1905, this church building was in a central location in the growing community of Green Springs, renamed Safety Harbor in 1917. Strong winds during the October 1921 hurricane lifted the entire church from the ground and repositioned it elsewhere on the property, facing a new direction. It was left where it landed. Another hurricane in 1935 ripped off most of the roof. Amazingly, the current structure contains its original pulpit and altar rail.

Early church members included pioneer of the upper Pinellas Peninsula, including the McMullen and Booth families. Churches during this time period shared pastors who travelled between a few locations to serve their members. Poor roadways along the Pinellas Peninsula made even these short distances somewhat dangerous and time consuming!

After outgrowing the space, the congregation opened a new sanctuary in 1960 and converted this structure into Sunday school classrooms and office space. Unfortunately, church membership declined by the 1990s, and in 2002 after much difficult discussion, the congregation made a painful decision to close the church. After ninety-seven years, the church offered its final service on Mother’s Day of 2002.