Trinity Episcopal Church is located in

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, ...

, Madison Avenue. This historic church was founded November 24, 1842, in a third floor of a brick building near the Covington market. The cornerstone of the first church was June 24, 1843 and the first service was on June 30, 1844. The church has served the people of Covington and

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

through wars and floods. The church is active today, with a large congregation at its Fourth and Madison Avenue location. The Rev. Peter D'Angio is the rector. It is the second largest parish in the

Episcopal Diocese of Lexington The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington is the diocese of Episcopal Church in the United States of America, The Episcopal Church with jurisdiction over eastern Kentucky. It was created in 1895 from the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky, Diocese of Kentucky ...

. Trinity Episcopal Church was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on March 1, 1982. This was because it is an excellent example of how medieval techniques in architectural design affected Episcopal church building in the United States in the 19th Century, in a style known as

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

.TEC NRHP Form

History

Trinity Episcopal Church, a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, was officially founded in 1829, although the first

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

church in Kentucky was built in 1796 in central Kentucky, known as "The Episcopal Society". The first Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington was a wooden structure with external walls of board and batten built in 1843, after $350 was spent to purchase the land.Trinity Episcopal Church – History
/ref> The current building was constructed between 1857 and 1859. The timber and truss roof lies above a brick and stone masonry structure. An 1871 expansion had to be rebuilt in 1872 due to fire, with the mayor of Covington giving land to Trinity Episcopal Church in 1872 to assist. In 1885 a two-story guild hall was constructed to serve the church. Further additions in 1887 and 1888 included a new western front and a new

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

bay, which allowed for a new

baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal ...

and entry bell tower. The last enhancements to the building were in 1961 and 1962, which included an L-shaped annex of brick used for classrooms and offices.

Governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-el ...

and Senator,

John W. Stevenson John White Stevenson (May 4, 1812August 10, 1886) was the 25th governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress. The son of former Speaker of the House and U.S. diplomat Andrew Stevenson, John Stevenson gradua ...

, belonged to Trinity Episcopal Church. The first public library in Covington was built by Trinity Episcopal. The church also started the Baker-Hunt Foundation, to teach both adults and children to appreciate art. In October 1897, the Kentucky Equal Rights Association's ninth annual convention at Guild Hall, Trinity Church. The Kenton County Equal Rights Association, led by its president Mrs. Eugenia B. Farmer (and which met biweekly at the home of Mrs. Sallie B. Wolcott) hosted the convention. The

Ohio River flood of 1937 The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, 385 people died, one million people were left homeless and property losses reached $500 million ($10.2 billion ...

reached Trinity Episcopal, causing extensive water damage on the bottom floor. The Church struggled to pay for repairs.

Description

Brass, decorative windows, and wood carvings enhance the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

, nave,

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

, sanctuary, and south

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

References

External links

Official Site of the ParishPicture of Trinity Episcopal Church, circa 1923Picture of the church during 1937 Flood
{{National Register of Historic Places Churches in Kenton County, Kentucky Buildings and structures in Covington, Kentucky Episcopal church buildings in Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Kenton County, Kentucky Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Gothic Revival church buildings in Kentucky 1857 establishments in Kentucky Churches completed in 1857