Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-17

| As Bishop Paret has not vet returned from
| Europe Rev. DIR. Thomas Addison dean OF the
| eonvocation OF Washington, will this evening lay
| the cornerstone OF the new St Marks T. +.
| church on capito, HILL The foundations OF the
| church structure, at the southeast corner OF Sd
and streets southeast, have been laid and give
earnest OF the substantial character OF the build
Ing 10 De directed there The cornerstone will be
laid Ia the buttress OF the tower that is 10 rise
| at the northwest corner OF the site. The ceIe-
| Inony this evening Will take place at o'clock.
| Rev. A Floridus Steele, the rector OF the
parish, has arranged program fully in keeping
with the Importance OF this occasion. At his inv-
| tation Rev. DIR. Townsend. rector OF Incarnation
church, will deliver the address. The choir OF St.
Marks Will be reinforced by choristers from Incar
nation. St. Johns, and other churches, making an
| aggregate OF half hundred choristers to take
part In the musical services, all under the direc
ton OF Mr.. Geo. 5. Cooper, the precentor or ST.
Marks. The clergymen and the chorisJerS Will
robe In the old church structure fronting on Sd
street, on the south part OF the church site, and
march Ia procession TO the foundations OF the new
building. A platform for their accommodation
has been erected on the walls. The choirs will
they march sing professional hymn, upon re-
turning alter the ceremony occasional hymn,
IN iSe sns @ n
piayer-bOok, hymnal, the Church Almanac for
1855, the journal OF the last diocesan convention
rector, wardens vestry, officers OF the parish so
cletieS the architect, the builder, the building
committee, and contributors to the building fund,
copies OF current numbers OF the church PAPERS,
HE EVENING STAR, and other papers
THE NEW BUILDING
The plans OF the new church structure drawn by
Mr.. t. Buckler GheQuier, the architect OF Baltt-
more, provide for a building OF graceful propur-
lions, the architecture being combination OF the
Gothic and modern Romanesque. When COM
piece or ground owned by the parish, having a
'front.' OF 30 feet on street and depth OF l2O feet
on 80 street, wing 30 by az feet at the southeast
corner being Intended for the accommodation OF
the Sunday school At present, however only
the main portion OF the building VIII be erected
leaving the chancel and sunday school building
10 be added at some future time Meanwhile The
Old frame structure In which the members OF the
parish nave worshipped tor nearly score OF years
Will Oe allowed 10 stand, at the south end OF the
lot, and Will be used as d Sunday school room The
square tower at the northwest corner Will be run
up 10 height clear OF the roof and be surmounted
Ultimately by a spre 125 feet In height. The ap \
OF the root will be 53 from the floor and 81 eet
from the ground The new church, or the portion
now 10 De erected Will AFFORD seats Tor four nun
dred, and when the building Is finally Completed
the seating capacity will tie Increased to six hum
dre0. The structure Is 10 be OF brick, with bands
OF seneca sandstone and terra Gotta tiles The
Interior walls are 10 be or brick neatly finished
ana laid In red mortal In the square tower at the
corner corn VIII oe entrances both IRON street and
from sd street. There Will be another entrance
from A street at the northeast corner of the
church. The facade is OF graceful Design large
IOunu arch wlndOW being the main feature. The
lower section OF this window Will be divided by
three mulllons and the upper by two. The apex of
the gable above the window will be surmOunted
by cross. The ROOF above the nave Will
spring from walls rising 10 feet above the sloplng
roofs OF the asles at the sides. The aisles will be
ngntea Oy Triple mulioned windows. and the nave
Dy large, clere-Story openings in Single lights.
Inc nave arches Will be supported on iron columns
Inc rooI VIII be OF open woodwork. Outside the
roof VIII be slated. When the chancel is ADDED
the chancel arch usual In such structures Will be
omitted, and the walls and roofs oI the main
building Will be continued back at the ame beThi
cd f,ya Huaf
WOOD screen OF three arches between TWO or the
iron columns, and the aisles Will be divided Oh
each side by ornamented iron grills. The organ
Will be at the left OF the sanctuary and at the
right will be the vestry room. Provision Will be
made Tor ro0lng-room and a choir-room in the
basement Two memorial windows have already
been provided Tor, one by a bequest OF 500 from
me iate Miss MSllis Beae, and another given by
cnurch Is MI. VIM. ii. z. Thompson.
SKETCH OF THE PARIsH
The laying OF the cornerstone OF the new church
building Is an event OF importance In ST. Marks
parish. which has been looked forward to with In
terest for several years by the faithful parishion
ers, and which marks the steady growth OF the
parish, The erection of st. Marks parish out of
part OF the territory Included, as late as 1869
within the bounds or the Old Washington PARISH
was the immediate outgrowth OF strong mlsslOn
airy movement In the Protestant Episcopal Church
here during the war; An effort then made in the
way or church extension led TO the form ton of
three parishes-lncarnation, st. Paurs and ST.
each mission, the preaching and services were
under control, at the beginning OF the rector of
the parent parish; The work on Capitol Hill was
begun While Rev. Mark Odds was rector OF old Christ
church and Washington parish. Mr. Odds began
py holding sunday afternoon services in the Sol
dlers' and Sailors Orphan Home, at I'd and Mary
land avenue, In the house owned by the Danger
Held family. Rev. Mr.. Olds drew the plan Tor the
chapel used now by the parish but did not live TO
see IL completed. lie died In 1868, and was sue
ceeded as rector or Christ Church BY REV. DR.
shield who, In 1863, invited Rev. A. Florldus
Steele 10 take charge OF the new work In progress
In his parish This chapel was first erected on
street, between I'd and Sd southeast, on a lot be-
longing 10 the Beale family, the use OF which was
given free OF rent for the purpose. Meanwhile the
mission attained the dignity or an INDEPENDENT
parish Rev. Mr.. Steele took charge OF the mission
In March, 1863. In the following June 1t was or
elected its rector.
MOVING THE CHURCH.
AS property was changing hands rapidly both
the rector, Mr.. Steele, and the vestry were i'm.
pressed with the necessity OF securing perma.
nent site, and In 1870 they purchased for 81. OOO
the two city lots at the corner OF 80 and streets
constituting the present site. The frame chapel
was moved 10 the new site and has been used
ever since. While II was being moved services
were held In Lutheran chapel, Then located on LIST
street, at the Invitation OF the hoSpitabe Luther
ans, who shared their house with the rOo1ess
Pensioners OF st. Marks. One OF the first events
OIL mote Ia the church after the removal from To
81 street was the formal cereIseny instituting
Rev. Mr.. steele as rector. This was performed by
Bishop Nottingham In FEBRUARY, 1871, although
all the duties or rector had been performed by Mr.
Steele since MS erection 10 the Office IN 1869 ON
the occasion OF this ceremony Rev. Dr. SIarkey
bishop OF Newark, then rector OF Epiphany parish
preached The parish Is bounded ON the west
Oy line running north and south through
the Capitol, on the east by 9th street east
on the south Oy North Carolina avenue and on the
north by the Boundary. IL Is long and harrow
territory and there Is In its northern half a large
held for another parish In the future Miss NoIiie
Beale whose memory Is held in grateful remen.
orance by the rector and the members OF the
parish, drew up the petition addressed 70 the
diocesan convention for permission TO Organize
new parish, and 1t was circulated for siYnatures
by the late Dr. j. s. Beale. her brother When the
name suggested by that OF Rev. Marx Olds. When
Mr. steele began his services as rector the nah
hao % COMMITMENTS, and there was an AVERAGE
attendance OF so. The parish has now I30
communicates and an average attendance OF .S0
10 3OO, so large that the need OF a more "a.
There has been raised and expended for ali pur
poses since the organization OF the parish f45 OOO
There are four organizations that assist in rhs
parish work-SL Marks St Marks Frendiv
League, the Ladies' Church Building Association
ana the Sunday school During the existence az
East Washington have served on the yestry> The
nrSt Nestry was composed Of Davis Baker n \
Chapman, ;. ID. Charles, X. X. Elliot q IT Cara
ner, W. L. Kent, Thos NJ. Smith, and BEDFORD w
Walker. The vestry at It's first meeting e.ected
Davis Baker and Phil. X. Rely, as wardens: DIR
j. = Beaie, register, and X. h. Elliot, treasurer
The present vestry Is composed or John r. Tor.
bert, senior warden; Thos. $. Moore, JUNIOR war
den; w. ii. NARROW, treasurer; john L. sChew
VIM K Hilyer, Samuel Is. Roane, Josiah Shaw
and l. A. Wood. The building committee is CON-
poSeI Of Aessrs- Moore. NARROW, and Wood and