Similiar to Olivet, St. Mark’s has been blessed with a history that began with seminarians from the Virginia Theological Seminary in April 1880 as Groveton Mission.

In the midst of a new period of evangelical excitement at the Virginia Theological Seminary, students went forth as disciples into a new community known as Groveton, just south of Alexandria, Virginia. Two young seminary students began meeting in the homes of the Groveton farmers. By April 4, 1880, Kinsey Johns Hammond and Andrew Johnson Willis were holding Sunday School in the first Groveton schoolhouse (which is still standing on the corner of Popkins Lane and Route 1).

The Groveton School used by the seminarians was initially referred to as the Kerby School in reference to Justice of the Peace James Owen Kerby and he provided the property for the school and the mission. 

The Groveton Mission.

The establishment and founding of the Groveton Mission is attributed to the seminarians Kensey Johns Hammond, Andrew Johnson Willis, Jacob “Brit” Brittingham, and Mercer Patton Logan.  The new Groveton Mission was built on property donated by Franklin Pierce Reid.

For almost sixty years, the Groveton Mission (also known as Christ Chapel or Groveton Chapel) was under the guidance of seminarians, teachers, and its own community and was a non-demoninational chapel.. Because of that relationship, Groveton Chapel did not have the same kind of Episcopal oversight as other churches in Virginia, and the mission was released from some governance expectations.

In the early years, the church elected a board for steering the church business. Called a Vestry, it was made up of elected members from the parish, whether or not they were Episcopalian including Methodists and Presbyterians.

The seminarians and parishioners went into the nearby communities inviting others to the church, regardless of race or creed. The mission's isolation strengthened its dependence upon its own resources.

The Groveton Mission evolved into the Christ Episcopal Protestant Church of Groveton and was built on the west side of Route 1. In 1929, the chapel burned to the ground. Fortunately, some items were saved to include the communion table and alms basin hand-made by seminarian David Campbell Mayers. Within a year, the resilient Groveton community rebuilt the chapel. From 1880 until 1942, the seminary students managed the church. In 1942, Groveton Episcopal Chapel had its first full-time minister-in-charge, the Rev. Foxhall Parker Thornton.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

The changing demographics and world events would open new opportunities. The Second World War and the growth of the neighborhood along Richmond Highway, or Route 1 as it is also known, would lead the Groveton Chapel to a new location a mile away on property donated by Carl and Beulah Tavenner with the new name of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

In 1958, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on South Kings Highway opened its doors to the community.  We are located four miles south of Alexandria, close to many neighborhoods from Kingstowne to Groveton to Ft. Belvoir.

125 Years Later.

On April 24, 2005, St. Mark’s celebrated 125 years!

In 2013, a St. Mark’s parishioner and long-time resident of Groveton authored a book under the Images of America series entitled “Groveton.”  Chapter 4, Early Churches addresses St. Mark’s history with some additional history and pictures - An extract of that chapter is provided: Chapter 4, Early Churches

In 2018, the church’s history was also included in the Early Groveton Elementary School history found at this link: https://grovetones.fcps.edu/about/history



Approved by the Fairfax County History Commission 8-4-2010

SAINT MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church is one of several congregations that evolved from the efforts of nineteenth century students from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. The first congregation met at the original Groveton Schoolhouse on Popkins Lane and Richmond Highway in 1880, providing the farming community its first place of worship between Alexandria and Woodlawn Plantation. In 1903 the Groveton Mission built a church on the west side of Richmond Highway on land donated by Franklin Pierce Reid, adopting the name Christ Protestant Episcopal Church of Groveton. When the congregation moved to this location in 1958 on land given by Carl and Beulah Tavenner, the present name was adopted.

The Fairfax County History Commission, 2010