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In the early part of the 20"’ century St. Mark’s began with summer services conducted by the Rev. Morgan Dix, Rector of Trinity Parish, New York City, while visiting in the community. Many prominent clergyman visiting in the community for one or two seasons at a time followed him. Services were held in the Methodist Church on Mill Road and later in Union Chapel, a Village property.
This congregation of about fourteen families was without services during the winter months. A se1f appointed committee of three ladies, Miss Mabel Hotchkiss, Mrs. Frank Gould and Mrs. Edward Rogers called on the Rev. Samuel Fish of Southampton in September 1924 to seek his advice. Rev. Fish, although overburdened with responsibility for three churches, came and inaugurated St; Mark’s with a service of Evening Prayer, Holy Baptism and Sermon in Union Chapel on October 26, 1924. In February of the next year a theological student from New York came to preside over Sunday afternoon services through the spring. For the summer of 1925, services were held as before in the Methodist Church.
St Mark’s first Ladies Auxiliary, a precursor of Episcopal Church Women approximately 1930 – Taken at the south door of St Marks Church (Union Chapel) that sat at the corner of Library Ave now occupied by the Westhampton Beach Library (formerly Nevins Room)
1st Row left to right – Mrs George Winters with daughter, Mary Louise, unknown, Mrs Cumpston, wife of priest in charge, Mrs Desch (later killed in ’38 hurricane), Mrs Hansen.
2nd Row – Mrs Sliako, Mrs Edward Rogers(“Bea” – one of the founding members), Edith Quickenden (Mrs Joseph -Joan Derryberry’s mother)
3rd Row – Unknown, Mrs Duyckinck, Mrs, Klose
4th Row – Unknown, Mrs Illbert Zaics (partially hidden), Mrs Harold Cutver (Ethel – Ginny Gilmore’s mother), Mrs Fox, Mrs Francis Tuthill, Mrs Aubrey Jessup (Lola)
That fall, the original committee and a few additional members formed the Ladies Auxiliary. They took their concerns for the local congregation to the Right Rev. Ernest M. Stires who agreed to send supply clergy to serve the congregation for various periods ranging from a few weeks to three months. The Committee, finding these arrangements unsatisfactory, kept repeating their petitions to Bishop Stires. Finally, in December 1928, the Rev. William H. Cumpston was sent to be Priest-in-Charge of St. Mark’s and St. Mary’s, Hampton Bays.
Under Rev. Cumpston’s guidance, St. Mark’s congregation grew. Without a facility, children were bused by Bullen’s Bus Co. and then by parents carpooling, to St. Mary’s, Hampton Bays. By 1936 the two missions had developed beyond the ability of one priest to care for them and a congregational meeting was called by the Rev. J. L. Blair Lamed, Suffragan Bishop and Archdeacon of Suffolk, to discuss the future plans for St. Mark’s. In September of 1936, Bishop Stires divided the two missions and the Rev. Arnold M. Lewis came to take charge of St. Mark’s congregation.
In the next year a vested choir was formed, a Hammond replaced the old parlor organ on Christmas Eve, 1937, the men formed a Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew and the ladies continued their charitable work of the Auxiliary and formed the Altar Guild. In 1936 a committee was formed to purchase a building site on North Beach Lane (now Beach Road). The plan was to build the Rectory first on half of the property and later the church building on the other half. Construction of the Rectory began in the late summer of 1938, was delayed by the Hurricane of 1938, but was occupied by March 1939.
During this period the St. Mark’s congregation had increased to 71 families, 10 individuals and 84 communicants. In January 1939, Mrs. Adrian Allan, Mrs. Paul Layman and Mrs. Paul Waldo met with twenty other ladies to form St. Mark’s Circle and fund raising for the church building began in earnest. Men, women and children contributed. In 1940, Rev. Lewis1s accepted the call of the U.S. Army to serve as a Chaplain and left our fold.
The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Woodroof accepted S1. Mark’s call and conducted his first service on 21, 1941. The congregation was outgrowing the Union Chapel facility, and soon Dr. Woodroof and a committee began looking for a church site. It was clear that the Beach Road parcel was not large enough for a building of adequate size to hold the ever-growing congregation. The Atwater family offered St. Mark’s the acreage on the comer of Main Street and Potunk Lane. St. Mark’s accepted and we are there today.
Fund raising continued, plans were drawn and a large loan was taken to fund construction of the building. A former boathouse on the property was remodeled into a small cottage and became the Neighborhood House which St. Mark’s used for meetings, social occasions, fund-raising teas and suppers until well after the completion of the Church building. The first summer fair was held in July 1944. Ground was broken for the Church building in .Tune 1948. The cornerstone was laid October 10, 1948 with Right Rev. James P. DeWolfe conducting the service. On June 12, 1949, the first service was conducted in the new Church building and in July of that year Bishop DeWolf conducted the service of dedication. Now that St. Mark’s had been a self-sustaining mission for the required period, they applied to the Diocesan Convention for incorporation as a Parish. And, in 1949 they were duly incorporated. Col. Joseph Geer was elected Senior Warden and Mr. Joseph Quickenden was elected Junior Warden.
Dr. Woodroof conducted his last service as Rector in December 1951. The Reverend Charles W. Hubon was called in the summer of 1952 and took charge in October of that year. During his tenure, the facilities were opened to use by others in the community and there were Girl Scout meetings and classes held by the local unit of the Cornell Home Ex-tension. By July 9, 1959, the building debt of $80,000 was paid and, in time for the tenth anniversary, the Right Reverend James P. Dewolfe consecrator and preacher led a service of Consecration. In the fall of 1959, Bishop DeWolf’s designated the Rev. Edward R. Van. Buren, deacon, Assistant at St. Mark’s and assigned him to focus on helping with the young people. And the undercroft was finished into a habitable space for Sunday School, Youth Group and Church Suppers.
The Reverend Charles Hubon retired in 1966 and the Reverend George W. Busler answered the call to become Rector. He and Mrs. Busler settled into the Rectory and quickly became a moving force in the Parish. Father Busler enlisted the assistance of Brother Henry from the Little Portion Friary in Mt. Sinai to work with the Youth Group. Thereafter we retained a full-time assistant who, while am employee of the Family Counseling Service, would assist St, Mark’s at services amid work with the youth group.
A satellite office of the Diocesan Family Counseling Office operated out of St. Mark’s for a time, but with the growth in the community, the demand for services outgrew this office. With the support of the Interfaith Council, Father Busler founded a local Family Counseling Service, which continued to operate from the St. Mark’s facilities. The Beinicke Building was constructed with the support of the St. Mark’s congregation and the and now houses the Family Counseling Service under the direction of the Greater Hamptons Interfaith Council. For the 25“ Anniversary, the Vestry and Father Busler oversaw much-needed refurbishing of the building. Cushions were added to the pews, carpeting was laid in the aisles, antique rugs were donated for the Chapel and sanctuary and a number of antique pieces of furniture in styles which would have appeared in an early colonial church building were donated. Mrs. Busler organized a group of ladies to create the needlepoint cushions and kneelers, which now grace the Chancel and sanctuary. Rooms in the basement were reborn one more time to accommodate the changing needs of the congregation.
Father Busler embarked on a project to replace the colonial style glass windows in the Nave with the series of stained-glass windows that relate Bible stores that connect with the area in which we live - the presence of water. Each window also relates to something close to the donor and for the person memorialized. All the windows have been completed.
The grounds have been beautifully landscaped over the years with the addition of memorial gardens and trees. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kidde gave a columbarium built at the back of the church surrounded with lovely gardens, and Mrs. Baier Lustgarten provided two ancient carved seats for those who wish to spend time there in meditation. As the 50m anniversary approached, plans formed for special recognition of that year. The floors and pews were refurbished, carpeting cleaned, painting re-done and our third organ purchased - an electronic marvel. A demonstration of the wondrous capabilities of the new organ soon assuaged any disappointment over the inability to place a pipe organ in the building.
It was a time of thanksgiving and rejoicing for the blessings the Parish had received. Our weekend festivities included a dinner dance and Father Busler “Roast” on Saturday with the celebration of a festival Eucharist on Sunday.
In 1999, Father Busler announced his retirement. Where had the thirty-three years gone? We bid our farewells with suitable celebration, and now, in the Millennium year, we have Begun our Search process for a new Rector. Compiled with the aid of St. Mark’s history as chronicled by Stephen Piller, the archival albums organized by Sally Sommervilie as her project for the Girl Scout Gold Award, and many memories.