DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Bexar County. Now settle in, because this one's got deep roots, a famous name, and a building that refused to quit. The land itself sets the stage — Saint Mark's stands on what was once part of the Alamo lands.
You can't get much more San Antonio than that. The story begins with Trinity Church, a mission established in 1850. It ran its course and was disbanded in 1858 — the same year Saint Mark's Church was organized, with the Reverend Lucius H.
Jones stepping in as its first rector. So one door closes, another opens, right there on the same soil. Construction on the church building got underway in December of 1859, and here's where the story gets a name you'd recognize anywhere.
Colonel Robert E. Lee was stationed in San Antonio at that time, and he was a leader in parish activities during those early days of construction. But then the Civil War came along and interrupted everything — as the Civil War had a habit of doing — and work on that building didn't resume until 1873.
Fourteen years. The walls just sat there, patient as stone, waiting for the war and its long aftermath to pass. When work finally picked back up, it was the Reverend Walter R.
Richardson leading the charge, and the building was completed in 1875. And then Saint Mark's didn't waste a moment. From 1876 to 1888 it served as the Cathedral of the Missionary District of Western Texas.
Now, the building itself is worth a long look. It was designed by Richard Upjohn, a noted New York architect, and it's considered an excellent example of Gothic Revival style. We're talking buttresses, window tracery, and a castellated tower — the kind of church that makes you stop your car and stare.
Saint Mark's has stayed active in missionary and community outreach throughout its entire history, and it keeps right on offering a variety of programs to this day. And one more thing the marker leaves you with — many of Saint Mark's rectors have gone on to become bishops of the Episcopal Church. So whatever it is they've been building here, it goes well beyond those Gothic Revival walls.
What the marker says
Established on what was a part of the Alamo lands, Saint Mark's Espicopal Church traces its history to Trinity Church, a mission established in 1850 and disbanded in 1858. Saint Mark's Church was organized in 1858 with the Rev. Lucius H. Jones as first rector. Church construction began in December 1859. Col. Robert E. Lee, stationed in San Antonio at that time, was a leader in parish activities. The Civil War interrupted construction, and work did not resume until 1873. The building was completed in 1875 under the leadership of the Rev. Walter R. Richardson. Saint Mark's was the Cathedral of the Missionary District of Western Texas from 1876 to 1888. Designed by noted New York architect Richard Upjohn, Saint Mark's is an excellent example of a Gothic Revival style church. It exhibits such hallmark features as buttresses, window tracery, and a castellated tower. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, it received the official Texas Historical Buildng Medallion in 1962. Active in missionary and community outreach endeavors throughout its history, Saint Mark's continues to offer a variety of programs. Many of Saint Mark's rectors have become bishops of the Episcopal church. (1992)