Posts
The charming former church building sitting at the corner of
Lane and Fourth Streets in Yreka is one of the most iconic buildings in
town! This wonderful landmark sits on
the corner just across from the Siskiyou County Courthouse Square.
In July of
1876 the first Episcopal congregation met at the original courthouse to form
and held the name as St. Paul’s Mission.
However, in less than a month the Church of St. Laurence was
incorporated to serve the community. Within
same month (July) of 1876 the lot at the corner of Fourth and Lane was
purchased for $200 for the purpose of building a church. This lot was the former site of the old
Metropolitan Hotel which is believed to have burned in the 1871 devastating
fire that hit Yreka. Within a couple of
months the parishioners instituted a plan for the building and the original
plans were suggested for a brick structure. However it was in 1880 when the building we
see today was built. Reports from
historical papers indicate that building began on the 15th of May,
1880. The first church services were
held in the church on January 30, 1881. The
original price tag of the building and furnishings for the church was
$3,100. A marine architect constructed
the church and the roof is supported by what looks like an upside down sailing
ship hull under the outside roof line and shingles. The roof is made of 2 x 10
tongue and groove planks and is carried on seven arches to which equivalent
rafters are fastened to form the peak.
The bracing of the rafters on the arches is much the same as that used
when bracing the hull of an 1850 sailing ship.
The heavy work of the structure is bound together with wooden pegs. This
building was definitely made to last, the exterior of the roof originally had a
“striped” design (similar to what we see today) in the shingles and these
original shingles served the church for 67 years and were made of sugar
pine. The first time the church building
was “re-roofed” was in 1947. The walls
of the building are constructed of boards and batten, and the walls are also made
of 2 by 10 tongue and groove pine. In
1881 the windows were covered with fancy oiled paper, which was reported to
have looked even “better” and more “ornamental” than stained glass. 
In 1885 St.
Laurence was renamed St. Mark’s and consecrated in June of that year. The church was “out of debt” and paid for,
and this was the cause for celebration and change. The next year a new bell was hung at St.
Mark’s and this original bell weighed 350 pounds. Unfortunately in 1900 the bell at St. Mark’s
fell and had to be replaced. In 1915 St.
Mark’s exchanged their bell for a heavier bell that hung at St. Barnabas in
Dunsmuir. This bell is still hanging in
the bell tower today.
On January
25, 1962 it was the annual church dinner and business meeting…but at 10:00 a.m.
fire was discovered when smoke began billowing through the roof. It had been zero and sub-zero weather and one
of the oil stoves had been left burning on low to keep pipes from
freezing. Following this devastating
fire the insurance company called the building a total loss. In the end the parishioners decided they
would salvage all they could and rebuild the church. It was the interior that was the total loss
and was replaced, but the exterior survived.
Today the interior is the replacement interior that was created, but the
exterior is the same as it was in 1880.
On August
20, 2010 it was with great sadness the congregation voted to close the long
lived St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, a number of reasons were considered in this
difficult decision including the economy, lack of interest, and an ageing
population. It was on January 1, 2011
that St. Mark’s Episcopal Church closed their doors and ended a legacy of
service to Yreka. But it wasn’t the end
of life for this beautiful little building…
In June of
2011 title of the property including the church building, the patio area, the
brick block building in the back, and the former Victorian rectory that sits at
the side was transferred to the Yreka (Historic) Preservation Corporation. It is the goal of Yreka Preservation to
utilize the buildings in positive ways for the community and preserve the
building to the best of their ability.
Today
Preservation Square provides a venue for a wide variety of opportunities; the
building has been used for weddings, social events, meetings, musical events,
parties, lectures, films, etc. The
building is offered for rent to the community at low cost and the funds raised go
toward maintaining the property. The
building is available to tour with prior arrangements with Yreka Preservation.
Copyright: Claudia East, 2008.
