St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
St. Mark's Episcopal Church occupies a downtown San Antonio block facing Travis Park. Its sanctuary, designed in 1859 by New York architect Richard Upjohn, was interrupted by the Civil War and Reconstruction and first used on Easter Sunday 1875. Built of local limestone, it has buttressed walls, steep metal roofs, art-glass windows, carved wood trusses and a deep apsidal chancel. It is the only Upjohn-designed building in Texas. Later additions form a connected Gothic-style complex: a Parish Hall and four-story Education Building from 1926-27 by the Alfred Giles firm and Albert Felix Beckmann, and a narthex, cloister and bell tower from 1949 by Henry Steinbomer, followed by the 1951 Bethlehem Chapel. A 1959 commercial building acquired by the church is described as non-compatible. The church was the first Episcopal congregation in San Antonio and served as the West Texas diocese's cathedral from 1875 to 1888. It was listed for its architecture at the local level.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the 1859-1875 sanctuary is an excellent, early Texas example of Gothic Revival church architecture and the only Texas building designed by master architect Richard Upjohn. The connected Collegiate Gothic and Gothic Revival additions of the 1920s and 1949-51 form one interrelated complex reflecting the church's growth. It is significant at the local level under Criterion C in Architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 98000103, listed February 12, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 315 E. Pecan St., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | February 12, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000103 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1859-1875; 1926-1927; 1948-1949; 1951 |
| Architect / builder | Upjohn, Richard; Alfred Giles Company and Albert Felix Beckmann; Steinbomer, Henry J. |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival; Collegiate Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a religious facility; described as preserved in excellent condition with a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.42898, -98.48894 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 98000103.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7589948
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.