Trinity Episcopal Church is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Episcopal Diocese of Iowa The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which covers all of Iowa. It is in Province VI. Its offices are in Des Moines, and it has two cathedrals: the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in ...

. The church is located in

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the tim ...

, United States. It was individually listed 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 ...

in 1974. In 2021, the building was included as a contributing property in the Iowa City Downtown Historic District.

History

Trinity Church traces its roots to the missionary activities of the Rt. Rev.

Jackson Kemper Jackson Kemper (December 24, 1789 – May 24, 1870) in 1835 became the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Especially known for his work with Native American peoples, he also founded parishes in wha ...

, Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, who first visited the area on July 10, 1841. He continued his visits until the parish was formed on August 7, 1853. The first

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the church, the Rev. Willis H. Barris, came to Trinity on October 15, 1855. The Rev. Silas Totten who was rector from 1859 to 1862, served as the second President of the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

at the same time. with The parish had no regular meeting place until 1862, when it purchased the Athenaeum. That building was used for church purposes until the present church was completed on October 1, 1871. The Athenaeum building was later sold to St. Patrick's Catholic Church when it was established in 1873. The present church building was built on property purchased from Samuel and Sarah Ballard in 1868. The design for the church is attributed to

Richard Upjohn Richard Upjohn (22 January 1802 – 16 August 1878) was a British-born American architect who emigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to su ...

. It is not known if the plans came directly from Upjohn, or if they were from drawings found in his ''Rural Architecture''. There is also some evidence that it resembles a drawing by Bishop Randall of Colorado that was published in ''The Spirit of Missions'' in May 1867. The church is a wood structure in the Gothic Revival style. It is considered significant as the only Gothic Revival building in Iowa City that utilizes vertical boarding that is often used in this form of the style. While the sanctuary remains similar to the day it was built, additions for educational facilities and a parish hall have been added over the years.

References

External links

Trinity’s Web Site
{{NRHP in Iowa City, Iowa 1853 establishments in Iowa Religious organizations established in 1853 Churches completed in 1871 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Carpenter Gothic church buildings in Iowa Episcopal church buildings in Iowa Churches in Iowa City, Iowa Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Iowa City, Iowa Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Iowa