Church of St. Mark, The Evangelist, Episcopal

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's what you need to know about the Church of St. Mark, The Evangelist, Episcopal, standing right there in Honey Grove, Fannin County. Now, 1876 is where this story begins.

That's when the Rt. Rev. Alexander C.

Garrett rode into the picture. Garrett was bishop of the Missionary District of Northern Texas at the time, and he would go on to become bishop of Dallas. But in 1876, he had a congregation to organize, and organize it he did.

Then comes 1883. The Rev. J.

P. Lytton is now leading the ministry, and under his watch, something goes up that the people of Honey Grove are going to be looking at for a long, long time. A building.

Wood frame construction, but don't let that fool you into thinking plain or simple. This is Gothic revival architecture we're talking about. Lancet windows cutting tall and pointed toward the sky.

Step inside and you've got a varnished pine interior and a cathedral ceiling rising up above you. Someone had vision here. Someone wanted to build something worthy of the name.

And it's still there. Still standing in Honey Grove, a reminder, as the marker says, of Honey Grove's pioneer heritage. Sometimes the most lasting thing a community does is build something beautiful and refuse to let it fall down.

What the marker says

This congregation was organized in 1876 by the Rt. Rev. Alexander C. Garrett, bishop of the Missionary District of Northern Texas, and later bishop of Dallas. In 1883, this building was constructed during the ministry of the Rev. J. P. Lytton. Of wood frame construction, the Gothic revival structure features lancet windows and a varnished pine interior with a cathedral ceiling. It stands as a reminder of Honey Grove's pioneer heritage. RTHL - 1984