St. Mark's had its beginnings in a small brick church called the Bangor Parish Church. It was built in 1825 by early settler, Morris Hudson, on his land near present day Kanawha Terrace. This little church, named for Hudson's former in Pennsylvania, continued to be the place of worship until 1845 when it was destroyed by fire. In 1847, a new church was built near the Coal River on land given by Phillip R. Thompson. It was named St. Mark's after Thompson's former parish in Virginia.
In 1863, during the Civil War, Union Troops marched into St. Albans, then known as Coalsmouth,and encamped on St. Mark's property. They dug trenches, built fortifications around the church, and tore out the floor to stable their horses under cover. After the war, the congregation picked up the pieces and started over, making repairs as they could afford them.
Over the years as St. Mark's continued to grow, new facilities became a necessity. An education wing was built in 1955. The original sanctuary seated only 100 comfortably and was no longer adequate by 1968. On Christmas Eve1969, the first service was held in the new sanctuary and in February of that year the official dedication of the sanctuary was held.
The congregation of St. Mark's is a caring Christian community who live out their commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ through efforts to meet the needs of the less fortunate. The church operates Christ's Kitchen, an outreach ministry to feed those in need and also a food pantry from which free food is distributed twice weekly. A former rector of St. Mark's, Father Paul Bresnahan, was instrumental in the establishment of a homeless shelter in St. Albans. We look forward to many more years of service to the community. We recently welcomed a new leader, Father Charles Pope and his wife, Mary.