Prior to the existence of Christ Church, the first Episcopal congregation started in Longwood in 1877. The first baby baptized with that group is known to be Annie Rand on Easter in 1877.
The still existent Christ Church Episcopal was incorporated in 1879. The first building was a small log schoolhouse, located about a quarter mile on the property of Edward Henck, close to Magnolia Avenue and Freeman Street. It was used from 1879 through 1881.
The present building was erected in 1881. As such, it is the oldest continuously operating church in Seminole County. It is an oblong, gray-frame building with art glass windows and a memorial bell. Longwood founder Edward W. Henck donated the land for the new building.
Only the center section of the church is original. On either side, the roof line juts out at a less severe angle. This represents the sanctuary expansion that took place in 1964. In 1965, the classroom and office buildings were added to the right side of the property, known as Searcy Hall.
The building’s relatively simple and unadorned style is typical of many pioneer churches. It is symmetrical with flat-white wood siding. Originally, the building was located 150 feet to the east, closer to the Inside-Outside House. However, it was moved over a tad in 1988 to make room for more church expansion. As a result, it lines up perfectly in eyeshot down Wilma Street, meaning it can be clearly seen from Highway 434 as a keen landmark of the historic district.
The first vicar of the church was Reverend Lyman Phelps. The families of Frederic H. Rand and John Neill Searcy were among the church’s founders and served in its leadership for many decades. The Rand family donated the stained glass window above the altar and was also one of the primary suppliers of capital for its original construction.
Some of the furniture and holy items inside the church date back to the original years, around 1879-1881. An altar and lectern date back even earlier. They were given to the Longwood church after an 1880 hurricane badly damaged the Episcopal church in Sanford. The Sanford building was completely rebuilt, but some items were still in good repair and given to the new mission in Longwood.
The steeple rotted in 1955s. The shaft was capped, and it was never replaced.
