About Us

St. Peter's is a worshipping community of the Episcopal Church in the diocese of Southeast Florida.

The church is lead by lay-leaders Calvin Allen and Linda Hemderson with rotating supply priests.

Services are on Sunday at 10:00 am for the Holy Eucharist and Thursdays at 10:00 pm for Healing Service and Euchasist.

Come be a part of our community at St Peter's. Our centerly located church, church gardens, and parish hall are open everyday for meditation, resting, and quiet time. We have a parking lot beside the church.

Directions by Google Maps

History of St. Peter's Episcopal Church

A small group of Afro-Bahamians immigrated to Key West in the 1870's and formed the first black episcopal parish in Florida. In 1887, this congregation, who had used rooms and halls around Key West were able to purchase the land and build a permanent church building, covering the cost of construction themselves. Then re-building the church twice more following hurricane damage in 1909 and 1910.This current church, featuring many Gothic Revival style elements, including pointed arches, steepled roof and decorative stained glass windows was completed in 1924.

Throughout it's history, St Peter's Episcopal Church has remained one of the largest historically African American congregations in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. In 1971, the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Key West Historic District. In 2017, St Peter's Church was designated as A Florida Heritage Site, sponsored by St Peter's Episcopal Church Vestry and the Florida Department of State.

Excerpt from an article "Joe and His Brothers" written by William Huckel in the Solaris Hill, vol.11, no.4, February, 1977.

In the middle 1800's, a slave named Shadrack Hannibal decided to jump ship and head for Nassau. After the Civil War was over, Shadrack, his wife Matilda, and his children came to Key West. The family stayed here until 1882 and then returned to the homestead in Nassau. The parents and children (James, "Jimmy" Samuel "Sammy", Jeremiah "Jerry", Joseph "Joe", Purcilla, Eva, and Cecelia) returned to Key West in the 1890's and settled down here. The sons, "Jimmy," "Sammy," "Jerry," and "Joe," all had learned trades, and Key West became the beneficiary of the excellent work that they did. All four brothers were noted for their work with stone, and building craftsmanship. One cannot talk of churches and the Hannibals without mentioning the glowing achievement of "Joe," which was the designing and the constructing of the lovely, lovely St. Peter's Church on Centre Street.

When money problems arose during the constuction, a sub-contractor, Mr. Joe Wake, suggested to "Joe" that they buy a brick making machine to save money. Enver Hannibal Young, "Joe's" daughter, remembers all the kids helping make the brick with this machine."Joe" had a special "recipe" for mixing the silica sand and cement that gave the brick its lovely gray look. A special "Brick Sunday" was called for by Father Lewis, and all the little children brought bricks on this day, and they were blessed by the Father. Out of this experience grew the Brick Workers Guild which was 'founded by Salome Dean's mother. A beautiful stained glass window was donated by the guild to the church, and it is in the church today

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