St. Mark's Church, Frankford
Encyclopedia
St. Mark's Church, often referred to as the Frankford Cathedral, is a historic church in the Frankford
neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It was founded in 1832 and continues today.
Impact: By the mid-19th century two ministries begun at St. Mark’s Church, Frankford spread throughout the Christian church. The first, the Mother’s Meeting begun in 1860 to share life and family leadership skills along with Christian values with mothers who were otherwise busy with the day to day activities of raising children and managing their households. The second was the Lay Cooperation in Ministry, which was the broader sense that the lay people were the ministers of a church and under their leadership and action literally countless lives can be impacted.
Membership: Mr. William Welsh, merchant, philanthropist, Christian zealot, and community leader was a significant member of the church from 1832 until his death in 1878. During his life he was Superintendent of the Sunday school; he authored, edited, and published several books and papers; purchased and ran a newspaper; served on numerous boards and committees; founded the Wills Eye Hospital; worked tirelessly on the Girard College
Board; helped bring about the conversion of the volunteer system of firefighting to a professional city department; founded the Philadelphia Divinity School; and was instrumental in planting seven churches and missions in the Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Sutter Miller was the Rector of St. Mark’s Church from 1853 until 1871 during an era of economic disaster as well as unbridled growth and prosperity. Dr. Miller inspired through his pastoral leadership both the Lay Cooperation in Ministry and the Mother’s meetings, as well as numerous other programs to help raise the downtrodden to become self sufficient and productive members of society and the wealthy to accept their role helping humankind.
Colonel James Ashworth was a member who became a decorated Union Army officer having raised a company from the men of St. Mark’s and was himself wounded eleven times during the Battle of Gettysburg
.
Mr. Thomas Creighton was a vestryman at St. Mark’s who had a passion for education. He founded the Historical Society of Frankford
; was an author, painter, and leader in the Frankford and Philadelphia Communities; his son, Frank Whittington Creighton was consecrated Missionary Bishop of Mexico as the 351st Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
As a group St. Mark’s members have played a significant role leading Northeast Philadelphia; over 16 streets were named for members; during times of epidemic, the church opened its doors to serve as a clinic; and 188 troops were raised from our parish to fight in the War to Preserve the Union; and over the years 39 members of this church laid down their lives on battlefields foreign and domestic in the service of the United States of America.
The Church Building: The church is also important because of the very structure of the current church itself. The building is the pinnacle of Frank Rushmore Watson
’s work in church architecture. It is a vertical or perpendicular Gothic church building with 56-foot ceilings crafted to resemble Noah’s arc turned upside down. It was built for 1000 worshipers and to become the Cathedral
of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. It is constructed of Port Deposit Granite and lined with Indiana Limestone; the windows are the most important example of Nicola D’Ascenza’s, a former president of the Philadelphia Sketch Club
, corpus of work in the United States; there are 69 stone carvings done by Whiteman Studios of Philadelphia; and numerous memorials given by and for church members.
Longevity: The church was planted along traditional lines during an intense period of evangelical mission work in the 1830s through the mission work of Trinity Church, Oxford. Since its founding, St. Mark’s Church, Frankford has gone through three distinct iterations. The Church was first a teaching center and then grew into a missionary church. During the 1880s the new leadership of the church moved it along the Oxford Movement
.
Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frankford is a large and important neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles northeast of Center City. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankford Creek, now roughly Adams to Aramingo...
neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It was founded in 1832 and continues today.
History
St. Mark's Church has historical significance because of its impact on the greater Christian Church through its ministry, its membership, its church building, and its longevity.Impact: By the mid-19th century two ministries begun at St. Mark’s Church, Frankford spread throughout the Christian church. The first, the Mother’s Meeting begun in 1860 to share life and family leadership skills along with Christian values with mothers who were otherwise busy with the day to day activities of raising children and managing their households. The second was the Lay Cooperation in Ministry, which was the broader sense that the lay people were the ministers of a church and under their leadership and action literally countless lives can be impacted.
Membership: Mr. William Welsh, merchant, philanthropist, Christian zealot, and community leader was a significant member of the church from 1832 until his death in 1878. During his life he was Superintendent of the Sunday school; he authored, edited, and published several books and papers; purchased and ran a newspaper; served on numerous boards and committees; founded the Wills Eye Hospital; worked tirelessly on the Girard College
Girard College
Girard College is an independent boarding school on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Girard is for academically capable students, grades one through 12, and awards a full scholarship with a yearly value of approximately $42,000 to every child admitted to the...
Board; helped bring about the conversion of the volunteer system of firefighting to a professional city department; founded the Philadelphia Divinity School; and was instrumental in planting seven churches and missions in the Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Sutter Miller was the Rector of St. Mark’s Church from 1853 until 1871 during an era of economic disaster as well as unbridled growth and prosperity. Dr. Miller inspired through his pastoral leadership both the Lay Cooperation in Ministry and the Mother’s meetings, as well as numerous other programs to help raise the downtrodden to become self sufficient and productive members of society and the wealthy to accept their role helping humankind.
Colonel James Ashworth was a member who became a decorated Union Army officer having raised a company from the men of St. Mark’s and was himself wounded eleven times during the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
Mr. Thomas Creighton was a vestryman at St. Mark’s who had a passion for education. He founded the Historical Society of Frankford
Historical Society of Frankford
The Historical Society of Frankford is a historical society and museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1905 in the Frankford neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and tell the history of Frankford and that of Northeast Philadelphia...
; was an author, painter, and leader in the Frankford and Philadelphia Communities; his son, Frank Whittington Creighton was consecrated Missionary Bishop of Mexico as the 351st Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
As a group St. Mark’s members have played a significant role leading Northeast Philadelphia; over 16 streets were named for members; during times of epidemic, the church opened its doors to serve as a clinic; and 188 troops were raised from our parish to fight in the War to Preserve the Union; and over the years 39 members of this church laid down their lives on battlefields foreign and domestic in the service of the United States of America.
The Church Building: The church is also important because of the very structure of the current church itself. The building is the pinnacle of Frank Rushmore Watson
Frank Rushmore Watson
Frank Rushmore Watson was a Philadelphia architect specializing in church architecture who was born and raised in the Frankford Neighborhood of Philadelphia....
’s work in church architecture. It is a vertical or perpendicular Gothic church building with 56-foot ceilings crafted to resemble Noah’s arc turned upside down. It was built for 1000 worshipers and to become the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. It is constructed of Port Deposit Granite and lined with Indiana Limestone; the windows are the most important example of Nicola D’Ascenza’s, a former president of the Philadelphia Sketch Club
Philadelphia Sketch Club
The Philadelphia Sketch Club, founded on November 20, 1860, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of America’s oldest artists' clubs. The club's own web page proclaims it the oldest. Prominent members have included Joseph Pennell, Thomas Eakins, Howard Chandler Christy, and N.C...
, corpus of work in the United States; there are 69 stone carvings done by Whiteman Studios of Philadelphia; and numerous memorials given by and for church members.
Longevity: The church was planted along traditional lines during an intense period of evangelical mission work in the 1830s through the mission work of Trinity Church, Oxford. Since its founding, St. Mark’s Church, Frankford has gone through three distinct iterations. The Church was first a teaching center and then grew into a missionary church. During the 1880s the new leadership of the church moved it along the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
.
Rectors
- The Rev. Henry S. Spackman, 1846–1853
- The Rev. Dr. Daniel S. Miller, 1853–1881
- The Rev. Robert C. Booth, 1881–1889
- The Rev. Frederick Burt Avery, D.D., 1882–1892
- The Rev. John B. Harding, 1893–1921
- The Rev. Leslie F. Potter, 1921–1932
- The Rev. Edmund H. Carhart, 1933–1945
- The Rev. Albert Fisher, 1945–1976
- The Rev. Robert Zimmerman, 1977–1981
- The Rev. David Hockensmith, 1982–1999
- The Rev. Jonathan N. Clodfelter, 2002–present
