Saint Mark's Church was founded in 1847 and actually built between 1848 and 1849 according to designs by John Notman, the architect who later designed nearby Saint Clement's Church and the Church of the Holy Trinity. The building's architecture is in the Decorated Gothic style of the late 13th and 14th centuries, and it is regarded as one of the best examples of this Gothic Revival style.
In the latter part of the 19th century what had been the rather plain interior of the church became more highly decorated as the ritual movement within the catholic branch of the Anglican Church began to exert more influence. Much of the embellishment that you see as you look around stems from the period between about 1890 and 1923.
The main entrance to the church is through the Fiske Doors, which give many passers-by a memorable impression of Saint Mark's Church. The doors are a brilliant red and may have been the first red church doors in Philadelphia - they certainly seemed scandalous when they were installed according to contemporary newspaper articles. The polychromed figures set into the stained glass tympanum depict Christ in Majesty with the legend "Come unto me all that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Coincidentally, Handel sets this text as a soprano aria in Messiah, which we perform at this venue for the first time in VoxAmaDeus' history. The portal was designed by architects Zanzinger, Borie & Medary in 1923 and was created by the Philadelphia studios of Samuel Yellin and Nicola d'Ascenzo.
Located in Center City at 1625 Locust Street, Saint Mark's Church is just steps away from Rittenhouse Square to the west and Broad Street to the east. The church is easily reached by public transportation:
PATCO Speedline trains stop at the corner of 16th and Locust Street
#2 Bus stops at 17th and Locust (from the north) and 16th and Locust (from the south)
#12 Bus from Gray's Ferry stops at 16th and Locust
#17 Bus from Old City stops at 19th and Walnut
SEPTA trains from the suburbs of Philadelphia stop at Suburban Station at 16th and JFK
Broad Street Subway Line stops at Walnut-Locust
Market-Frankfort Line stops at 15th and Market
Parking is available for a fee on street and at many neighborhood parking garages.