In this church's day prairie gothic structures were quite commonplace, but that was well over a century ago. Nowadays, the contrast between the darkness of the pine interior and the brilliance of exquisite stained glass is more than a reminder of the resourceful craftsmen that assembled this structure 124 years ago. It can also be symbolic of the timeless struggle between the light and the dark.
St. Mark's was built in 1883 with timber, heartwood pine to be specific, that the parishioners believe was brought in by railroad from the big sawmills in Jefferson, Texas.
The railroads came onto the scene in 1873, so that is quite possible.
A Reform Episcopalian church in New York supplied breathtaking stained glass as well as hymnals and other necessities for this remote North Texas church that must have been looked upon as something of a prairie mission to the church back in New York.
Although regular services at the church ended in 1993, The Church of the Holy Trinity, Bonham, celebrated Holy Communion at the Old St. Mark’s Church April 29, 2007 for their second annual Feast of St. Mark's service in the historic church.
But annual services in one of North Texas' oldest churches would not be possible without the help of the Hall-Voyer Foundation of Honey Grove.
Hall-Voyer assumed ownership of the rapidly-deteriorating church in 1993 and promptly restored the building, which included leveling, wiring, the addition of central heat and air, in addition to a careful restoration of the colorful stained glass windows and pump organ.
Among those attending the annual service was Philip Barbee. Mr. Barbee was born in Honey Grove in 1945 and his family attended St. Mark's. Barbee's great-grandfather, Marshal Abbot Galbraith, came to Honey Grove from Christian County, Kentucky in 1870 and built the family home that is still in use today.
Although Barbee calls McKinney home today, he never misses an opportunity to worship in the church of his youth.
Anyone that has ever set foot inside St. Mark's Episcopal Church certainly understands why.
