Malbis Memorial Greek Orthodox Church

April 18, 2013

22  comments

The Malbis Memorial Greek Orthodox Church is located in Malbis, just a few miles north of Fairhope. It is one of six Greek Orthodox churches in the state of Alabama and was dedicated in 1965.

 This is a view of the gorgeous overhead dome.
Constructed and owned by a family of Greek immigrants, this church doesn’t have a regular congregation, but has served for years as the private church of the Malbis family, who arrived in Baldwin County in the early 1900’s. The last original member of the family to settle this property died in 2008, but descendants still maintain the church and surrounding land.
Ceremonies, such as weddings and baptisms are held in the beautiful church and public tours are available most days.

This reverent, and rarely seen view is usually hidden behind the main altar.

On a car trip from Louisiana to the beaches of North Florida, my parents once stopped at the church and took me for a tour. I was only three years old and don’t remember much, but since then, I’ve returned on several occasions with my own children and field trip groups.

The Malbis Greek Orthodox Church is a treasure to our community. The story of the family who diligently worked  and contributed so much to our area is a testament to their faith in God and perseverance of the American dream.
 Looking towards the rear of the church.
It’s difficult for me to describe the overwhelming amount of historic details and intricacies of the artwork. There is no official web site for the church, but you can click over here to find a few more details and other sources of information.

If you are ever in our area, make plans to stop and tour this church in person. And if you are local, and like most people, have never taken the time to stop, please do. You will be amazed and feel blessed to have such a marvelous treasure among us.

 Fairhope United Methodist Church and

All the photography in this post is by my husband, Robert Tarabella at Spark Imaging.

Leave a Reply

  1. Stunning ! What a beautiful legacy for that family.
    Thanks for sharing..that is on my “must see” list now.
    A.Pat

  2. I spent some time tonight to catch up reading my favorite blogs. I read several here. So I will just put all the comments in one neat package. First this church is exalting to the spirit which takes the sting out of what has happened the last few days. If a human can create this wonder, then there is hope. Wedding dresses? Pearls, always! Capped sleeves, at least. One bride I saw had fingerprint smudges on the bodice from where she kept grabbing it. Tramp art frame collection? Love them.

  3. Such a pretty and colorful church! We have a small Greek Orthodox church here in Boise. They host a Greek festival each June. We love to enjoy the food and music and tour the chapel.

    Big Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  4. Oh, this is beautiful! This reminds me of a church in Hawaii that was painted very much like this. The story behind it was the missionaries painted it so brightly to convert the Hawaiians with the language barrier and such. Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

  5. This is gorgeous. The colors are so vibrant particularly the blue and the dome is almost mesmerizing.

    Thank you for being a part of the premier of “Oh, the PLACES I’ve been!” and I do hope you’ll become a regular.

    – The Tablescaper

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