St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Philadelphia) facts for kids
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Saint Mark's Episcopal Church
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Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in April 2010
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | John Notman Cope and Stewardson |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003815 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1982 |
| Designated NHL | February 4, 1985 |
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church. You can find it at 1625 Locust Street in the Rittenhouse Square area of Center City Philadelphia. It belongs to the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Contents
History of Saint Mark's Church
Building the Church: The 1800s
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Saint Mark's Church was started in the mid-1800s. It was part of a religious movement called the Oxford Movement. This movement aimed to bring back older traditions in the Anglican Church.
The church building was designed in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like the grand churches from the Middle Ages. John Notman built the church between 1847 and 1849. He based his work on a design by English architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter.
The church's tall tower was also designed by Notman. It was finished in 1865 by George Hewitt.
Changes and Art: The 1900s
In 1923, a new main entrance was added. It features colorful figures that show "Christ in Majesty." This beautiful entrance was designed by Milton Bennett Medary.
The Lady Chapel is another special part of the church. It was designed by Cope and Stewardson and built in 1900. The chapel's ceiling is unique because it's the first stone vault of its kind in the United States. Rodman Wanamaker paid for the chapel and its decorations. He did this to honor his late wife.
Because of its amazing design and importance, Saint Mark's Church is a National Historic Landmark (NHL). This means it's a very important historical place.
The church has many beautiful decorations by Charles Eamer Kempe. He was famous for his church art. The Lady Chapel was once fully decorated with Kempe's designs. Later, some of these pieces were moved to other parts of the church. The original stained glass windows are still there.
Saint Mark's also has several special embroidered cloths called frontals. These were made by Kempe's company. Some of them are still used today. The Lady Chapel now has a famous silver altar. It has almost 150 small sculptures of saints and scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
The church tower has eight bells that are used for change ringing. This is a special way of ringing bells in a musical pattern. The bells were made in London in 1876 and 1878. They were fixed up for change-ringing in 1999.
The church also has a large pipe organ. It was built in 1936-1937 by Aeolian-Skinner. This organ is an early example of a special style called American Classic.
Modern Updates: The 2000s
In 2004, some parts of the pipe organ were changed. New digital sounds and a new control panel were added.
Later, in 2017 and 2018, many of these newer parts were removed. They were replaced with older, classic organ pipes from another church.
In 2008, Saint Mark's Church took on the Church of St. James the Less as a mission. This means they help support it. A middle school was opened on the property in 2011.
Saint Mark's Church has daily worship services. It also helps the community by running a food cupboard and a soup kitchen.
Church Leaders: Rectors
The Rector is the main priest in charge of the church. Here are some of the people who have served as Rector at Saint Mark's:
- Joseph Pierre Bell Wilmer (1849-1861)
- Edward Abiel Washburn (1862-1865)
- Walter Mitchell (1866-1868)
- Eugene Augustus Hoffman (1869-1879)
- Isaac Lea Nicholson (1879-1891)
- Alfred Garnett Mortimer (1891-1912)
- Elliot White (1913-1920)
- Frank Lawrence Vernon (1920-1944)
- William H. Dunphy (1944-1951)
- Emmett Parker Paige (1951-1971)
- Michael Becker (1971-1981)
- Charles Owen Moore (1982-1995)
- Richard Alton (1997-2005)
- Sean Mullen (2006-2024)
See also
