Verdugo Views: Parishioners rallied to build a new St. Mark’s

Clarance Parlour’s first service as rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church drew more than 300 parishioners.

That was back in 1935, when they were still worshiping in a small, wood-frame building at the corner of Harvard and Louise streets; much too small for the people who came back Sunday after Sunday to hear the charismatic rector.

Parlour brought new energy to the church and, within a year and a half, membership had nearly doubled, the Sunday School had grown and donations were up.

“The old church was full of termites,” recalled the rector’s daughter, Virginia Parlour Young, who has lived in Glendale since 1935. “There were many wonderful dedicated parishioners. A larger church was needed, and the planning and energy was initiated by my Dad,” she wrote in a recent email.

Parlour gathered parish leaders to discuss the overcrowding, according to Bruce G. Merritt in his recent book, “St. Mark’s Journey, The Story of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 1888-1989.”

With the increased attendance, folding chairs had to be set up in the rear of the sanctuary. Plus, the kitchen badly needed repairs.

Everyone agreed that a bigger church was needed, but most felt that it should be built on the existing site.

However, the architect they hired to inspect the property suggested purchasing a new site, perhaps somewhere in the Casa Verdugo area, which had been annexed in 1926.

So that’s where they looked.

Four men — Richardson D. White and John T. Cate (superintendent and business manager, respectively, of Glendale’s new school district) as well as Norman Badger, and George Flewelling — optioned a parcel of land at the corner of Dryden and Louise streets at $6,000. One member offered to lend the church $1,500 if they could come up with the balance, Merritt wrote.

The money was quickly raised at a parish dinner. The parcel was purchased and informal fundraising began.

Christmas and Easter offerings, proceeds from bazaars, rummage sales and garden parties, along with monies from plays put on by the Young People’s Fellowship, were all set aside for the building fund. Plus, special gifts came in, and the old property was on the market, with hopes that it would bring a good price.

The building fund was up to nearly $15,000 in 1939 when the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary by launching an official fundraising campaign for a new church.

An offer on the old property finally came in, but just two weeks later, Germany invaded Poland; it was the beginning of World War II. Although the fighting was far away, the economic effect was felt worldwide and the buyer pulled out, according to Merritt.

The building fund campaign was put on hold.

Another effort was made in early 1941 when all the church organizations put on a Rector’s Garden Party at the Allen residence on Kenneth Road. It was an-all day affair with lunch (50 cents), followed by a May Co. fashion show, plus dinner (another 50 cents).

Young remembered those social events fondly. “They were a large part of the church life,” she wrote. “Besides the money raised, it was fun for all.”

But, once again, because of the war in Europe and the high cost of materials, the project was put on hold.

Meanwhile, attendance continued to increase. The leadership decided to press for more funds so they could build as soon as the war was over. But that’s another story for another time.

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Readers Write:

Alex Leon, sports information director at Glendale Community College, sent this email: “Thanks so much [for] your recent stories about Gene Mako. As a sports writer for the GNP in the 1990s, I was fortunate to meet and write about Gene several times both at his home and at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. He was truly one of the legendary sports figures from Glendale who never forgot his roots despite his status as a Grand Slam Doubles Champion with Don Budge and his other endeavors.”

Leon said one of his columns had to do not only with Mako’s depth of knowledge of sports, but his opinions about who and what stats determined the greatest athletes of all-time in each sport.

“In particular,’’ Leon concluded, “I was happy to see that my friend Jim Pagliuso and his family were highlighted as caretakers for Gene in his later years for a man who lived a great life and warmly deserves the praise he is getting as a tennis champion from Glendale.”

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KATHERINE YAMADA can be reached at katherineyamada@gmail.com or by mail at Verdugo Views, c/o Glendale News-Press, 202 W. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, address and phone number.