History of St. Mark's Episcopal
Church
Presentation to the Annandale History
Club
2001
Julia Barkley
See also:
St.
Mark's Church, 1980s Advocate article by Jane Schulzetenberg
See also: Jan McGinnis' 2018 History Club presentation on St. Mark's
Church including many photos.
In 2001 Julia Barkley spoke to the History Club about St. Mark's
Episcopal Church. It is the oldest Episcopal Church in the state that
still holds services, and it is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. It is the Anglican church of
St. Mark's Episcopal Church was built in 1871 near the Longworth Resort,
later sold to
The church has the original pews of hand hewn lumber and it has the
original kneeling benches. It is now electrified, but in earlier times
it was lit by hurricane lamps and heated by a wood stove that is
still in the church. Their greatest fear is that of fire.
The church holds about 50 people. Julia started playing the pump organ
there in 1950. It now has a vacuum cleaner motor to push the air
through it instead of pumping by foot. Everyone is welcome
to come, but if someone wants to be married there one partner should be
a member or intend to be a member there.
Julia told of the Danaher Wedding and other interesting stories. She told of the vandalism that happens there.
The service at St. Marks is 9:30 a.m. in the summer. Pete Spindler is in
charge now. He also takes donations for the church.
Respectfully Submitted,
Barb Ostlund, Secretary
St. Mark's Episcopal
Church
History of
Wright County,Volume II, 1915 -- Page 674-675
In 1859 Octavius Longworth (1846-1889) located on the banks of Clear
Lake in the town of Corinna, Wright County. Mr.
Longworth, who had been warden of St. Mark's Church,
Williamsburg, N.Y., soon began reading the prayer-book service in his
own house. The
Rev. Mr. Chamberlain soon became aware of the settlement and considered
it as part of his missionary cure. Meanwhile
the Rev. Mr. Knickerbacker, having known Mr. Longworth, often visited
him, and after the retirement of Mr. Chamberlain added this mission,
known as Hassan, to his other missionary labors. As
the log house of Mr. Longworth became too small to hold those who
attended the services, Mr. Knickerbacker decided to build a church. The
Rev. Dr. Haskins, of Williamsburg, N.Y., a friend of Mr. Knickerbacker,
contributed a liberal sum for this purpose, and with the aid of others a
church was consecrated by Bishop Whipple, September 4, 1872, as St. Mark's Chapel,
Longworth, from the name of the parish in Williamsburg, of which Mr.
Longworth had been warden for many years.
Mr. Knickerbaker continued to minister at Longworth's and
at Monticello, Clearwater and Big Lake. The
project of building a church at Clearwater, eight miles distant, was
given up when it was decided to build a church at Longworth's.
Other clergy who officiated are Rev. John Scott of Anoka; Rev. W.R.
Powell of Park Rapids, and the Rev. S.B. Cowdry of Minneapolis. Other
eminent clergymen, attracted by the beauty of the lake, have ministered
to the people in the little church. After
the election of Mr. Knickerbacker as Bishop of Indiana, The Rev. A.R.
Graves of Gethsemane ministered to the people, and the Brotherhood of
Gethsemane included St. Mark's Longworth
in the annual report of their work. The
death of Octavius Longworth occurred in 1889 in the eighty-fifth year of
his age.
Since the death of Mr. Longworth, services have been held by C.F. Drake,
M.D., here and at Clearwater; C.F. Kite, who began a lay service at
Annandale; H.F. Parshall, when a student at Seabury. In
1891 Bishop
Gilbert visited Annandale and the other places. In
1893 Mr. Rimer took charge of the services at Longworth's and
Annandale. In
1894 the Rev. Russell Todd conducted the services at Longworth's,
Annandale being given up, the people attending at Longworth's. Upton
N. Gibbs of Seabury Divinity School spent the summer at Longworth and
the Rev. H. F. Parshall of St. Cloud and the Rev. Mr. Todd gave
occasional services to the people. In
1899 the Rev. Theo. C. Hudson of Paynesville is reported and is still in
charge (1915). Bishop's Committee:
O. Longworth, Jr. (1846-1917), warden, 1915. The
title of the church property is in the Bishop Seabury Mission.
In short, the history of the Episcopal Church in Wright County is
identified with the labors of the Rev. J.S. Chamberlain of the St.
Anthony Falls Mission, and with the Rectors of Gethsemane and St. Paul's Parishes,
Minneapolis, and of Trinity Church, Litchfield.