Jacksonville’s First Mormon Temple Groundbreaking
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its first temple in Jacksonville on January 24. The event will take place on Loretto Road in the Mandarin area and is by invitation only.
Event Leadership and Temple Details
Elder Massimo De Feo, first counselor in the United States Southeast Area Presidency, will preside over the groundbreaking. The temple will cover 29,000 square feet on a 6.6-acre site just east of San Jose Boulevard. It was announced in April.
Context and Historical Background
This temple will be the fifth in Florida, joining existing or planned temples in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa. The site previously housed the two-story Fleming Bowden home, built in 1907.
"Bowden is said to have been one of the first to own a car in Mandarin when he bought some Ford Model T’s in the early 1920s. Bowden also was Duval County supervisor of elections for 21 years."
The property was rezoned for a subdivision in 2020. Although efforts were made to preserve the house by relocating it, those plans failed and the subdivision was never built. The house was demolished in early 2024 as it lacked historic designation, according to local historian Tracey Arpen.
Mormon Presence in Florida
Mormon missionaries first arrived in Florida in 1845, and the state's first congregation was established in 1897 in the Big Bend region.
Summary
This groundbreaking marks a significant development for the Mormon community in Jacksonville, blending new religious infrastructure with local history and broader state heritage.
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