ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
AND CEMETERY

By  Mike Miller July 12, 2025

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and Cemetery is located in the Courtenay area of rural North Merritt Island not far south of Kennedy Space Center.

The church and cemetery are historic gems dating back to the late 19th century.

This beautifully preserved Carpenter Gothic structure, with its iconic steep-pitched roof and wood-frame bell tower, stands as a testament to the island’s early community spirit.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

The church is called “Old St. Luke’s” to differentiate it from the newer structure constructed in the 1970s. 

The church was constructed in 1888 and, alongside its adjacent cemetery, was honored with inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990

The roots of St. Luke’s stretch back to the 1870s when pioneering families—the LaRoche, Porcher, and Sams—migrated from Charleston, South Carolina, to settle in Courtenay. 

Early services were first held in 1879 in a local store before Edward Porcher donated the land for the church in 1888 and Lucy A. Boardman helped fund its construction.

With no resident vicar initially, ministers traveled by boat from Cocoa and Titusville, while lay leaders kept weekly worship alive.

After building a newer church adjacent to it in 1978, the original chapel transitioned to a cozy venue for weddings, funerals, and special events.

Located at 5555 N Tropical Trail, Merritt Island, FL 32953, St. Luke’s welcomes visitors year-round. The cemetery grounds are open dawn to dusk, allowing history enthusiasts to explore gravestones of the island’s founding families.

Services at the next door modern church occur Sundays at 9:30 am, with Wednesday communion on the first Wednesday monthly.

Parking is available on-site, and the church can be reached at (321) 452‑5260.

Interior of Old St. Luke's

For a special experience, try visiting during the annual “Pioneer Day” in February, when guided cemetery tours illuminate the island’s early settlers and their fascinating tales.

• The chapel was built using locally sourced island pine and cypress, and while aluminum sheathing was added in 1977, much of the original wooden interior remains intact.
  
  
• Pioneer Day cemetery tours feature costumed reenactors who interpret the lives of those buried there, including notable locals like the Sams, Porcher, and the author Vernon Lamme.  Lame wrote "Florida Lore" and "More Florida Lore.
  
  
• In 2019–2020, the University of Central Florida’s ChronoPoints team conducted a laser scan of the chapel, creating detailed 3D digital models to aid in preservation efforts.
  

WEBSITE FOR ST. LUKES EPISCOPAL CHURCH