Warm Holiday Greetings from Florida! 

I think there is nothing like a picture perfect chapel, nestled in the wilds of Florida, to bring the spirit of Christmas to life.  Hope you enjoy this newest addition to my Christmas chapel series.

Mary's Chapel

by CB Woodling, c. 2011

This historic chapel at Spanish Point in Osprey, Florida, was built in memory of Mary Sherrill, a young girl who came to Florida to recuperate at Webb's Winter Resort in 1892.  The current reconstructed chapel incorporates the original style, stained glass windows and bell from the 19th century chapel.  The history of the chapel and story of Mary Sherrill is nicely told in an article from the Sarasota County History Center at http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/stories/journals-of-yesteryear/historic-mary-s-chapel/

Historic Spanish Point is open to the public, and if you are in the area, you should definitely stop in and see this step back in history.  There are not only restored buildings from the time of Webb's Winter Resort, but also archeological digs which reveal information from Native American history in the region.  It's also a nice place to picnic on the water on warm, sunny Florida days.

Find out more at http://www.historicspanishpoint.org or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Spanish_Point.