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| St. Mark's Episcopal Church St. Albans, WV Source: WV History on View |
I've mentioned the paranormal activity concerning the St. Mark's Episcopal Church on my blog before (see Civil War History with the St. Albans History and Mystery Tour). However, after hearing local historian Denise Cyrus discuss the haunted history of St. Albans at September's St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group, I was inspired to give this fascinating location its own post! If you'd like to learn more about Denise and her upcoming St. Albans History and Mystery Tours, please check out the link provided.
Back in 1825, an early settler to the Coalsmouth area named Morris Hudson built a small church on his property. Located along today's Kanawha Terrace, this church was called Bangor Parish Church. Services were presided over by a preacher from Fort Lee in Charleston and the church lasted until it was destroyed by fire in 1845. Luckily, the bell was saved and became a focal point for the newly rebuilt church.
The newly rebuilt church was moved to the property of Phillip Thompson, on what is today 405 B Street, St. Albans. Completed between 1846 and 1847, the church was officially consecrated by Bishop Meade in 1847. The name was changed to St. Mark's in honor of Thompson's former church in his native Culpeper County, Va. The church grew and thrived in its new location...until the Civil War came to the area. By 1863, Union troops had commandeered the church. Unfortunately, St. Mark's, like so many other churches of this era, suffered severe damage under the soldiers, as they ripped the floors up, tore out a back wall, and used the beautiful brick building as a stable for their horses.
Upon the close of the war, the congregation began to come back and tried to fix as much damage as possible, holding makeshift services on the grounds. Between 1874 and 1878 the church building was deemed unsafe and closed off until adequate repairs could be made. Vast improvements on the old building wouldn't occur, however, until 1913 when Rev. Herbert Jukes would come to the church. Before joining the ministry, Jukes had been an architect and aided by the $2,400 in Federal Restitution money received in 1915, was able to make vast improvements, which are still seen today.
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| St. Mark's 2022 History and Mystery Tour |
The church would continue to grow and change. In 1955 an educational wing was added, and in 1969 a new, larger sanctuary was added, giving the modern structure a U-shape. Services continue to be held, and the church offers a variety of community outreach programs to the citizens of St. Albans. The church may also still harbor some citizens from the past.
In addition to a basement that gives many people an uneasy feeling, there has been a sighting of two full-bodied apparitions. A friend of Denise was alone in the church, practicing the organ, and had taken a break to go to her car. The parking lot is located behind the church and beyond the parking lot is a playground area. The witness reported walking out and seeing two men in the playground area. These two men were dressed as Civil War era soldiers! She went to grab her phone to take a photo, but by the time she was ready to snap a picture, the two men had vanished.
It is believed that these were possibly the spirits of the Union soldiers who camped on the property during the war, still on duty after over 150 years. More likely, however, this isn't a sentient, intelligent haunting. Rather, it seems like the witness caught a glimpse of a residual haunting---a moment stuck in time, playing over and over again under the right conditions, much like a movie on repeat. To be fair, the idea that it wasn't a ghost of all has to be considered. Ironically, when I went on the History and Mystery Tour several years ago, we were stopped at the church, hearing the stories, when we noticed an unhoused gentleman who was napping under a nearby bush. He looked a little rough, but I wouldn't say he looked like a soldier from the 1860s!
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| Parking Lot/Playground where soldiers were seen (2022) |
Either way, St. Mark's Episcopal Church has a long and interesting history. It has seen people come and go, it has seen the area change dramatically with time, and it has even witnessed the town changing names a few times. It is very plausible that those who are lucky enough can and will catch a peek into the past---a past that shaped the Kanawha Valley into what it is today.
If you've had a paranormal experience associated with St. Mark's, I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment down below or find me on Facebook at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State. Stay Spooky!
Additional Reading/Sources:
St. Mark's Website--History by Betty Evans, Archivist
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Application
Society of Architectural Historians
Denise Cyrus, President of St. Albans Historical Society
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