Future of Amory Chapel still unclear

The fate of the Amory Chapel, severely damaged during hurricanes Helene and Milton, is still in question. The issue came up after the Boca Beacon raised it with Lee County Planner Peter Blackwell at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board. 

“We want to get it fixed because it is a significant property on this island,” said Blackwell. The building is owned by the state, through the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. Blackwell was aware of the situation, but has been unable to visit.

“At this time, the state has not spoken to us about it,” said Blackwell.

While the building is not in the official Historic District, the board is charged with the historic preservation code, which encourages the county to “identify, evaluate, preserve and protect historical and archaeological sites and districts.”

After the hurricanes, volunteers from Barrier Island Parks Society helped clean out the chapel, after FEMA crews hired by the state cleared the sand. The operation was quite elaborate, as the state’s crews had to remove the interior sand at the same time as the exterior, so the walls would not fall in. 

Sharon McKenzie, executive director of BIPS, said that the state will make a formal determination about what to do about the chapel, as it is severely damaged.

“We are very concerned about the chapel,” said McKenzie. “We have been taking care of it for a long time.”

The Amory Memorial Chapel, originally named Shiloh Baptist Church, was built in 1959 by Louise and Roger Amory for the black community, part of the defunct community of Tarpon Pass Estates.

In 1996 the chapel, which had stood vacant and unused for more than a decade, was restored with funds from the GICIA, the Boca Grande Woman’s Club, The Venice Foundation and Barrier Island Parks Society. In 1998, BIPS, which operates Port Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum, took over the administration of rentals of the chapel, where it had its offices.

Below, Lee County links related to the Amory Chapel. It is officially designated as a County Historic Resource.

• 1995-Amory Chapel Designation as a Historic Resource
• 1995-Application for Amory Chapel
• 2005-Administrative Relief for Historic Structure
• 2005-Special Certificate of Appropriateness

At top, Chapel rear last fall, before cleanup. File photos