St. Mark’s was officially assembled in 1867 under H. B. Whipple, a bishop of Minnesota’s Episcopal Diocese. In 1868, it was incorporated as St. Mark’s parish and Reverend T. H. Gerry, a white minister, became rector. St. Mark’s first meetings gathered around 12 individuals at a carpenter shop on the corner of 5th and Market Streets. The congregation later transitioned to the former Christ Church building on Cedar Street. In November 1868, Reverend Gerry died. The congregation continued without formal leadership until disbanding in 1871. Many members joined the predominantly white Church of the Good Shepherd after the disbandment.
Sources
- Taylor, David Vassar. African Americans in Minnesota. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2002. Taylor, David Vassar. Pilgrim’s Progress: Black St. Paul and the Making of an Urban Ghetto: 1870‐1930. Vol. Ph.D. 1977: University of Minnesota, 1977. Zellie, Carole, and Garneth O. Peterson. Churches, Synagogues, and Religious Buildings: 1849-1950., 2001.
Category: Church Neighborhood: Downtown St. Paul