Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic

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 building at 124 N Mulanix Street in

Kirksville Kirksville is the county seat and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri. Located in Benton Township, Adair County, Missouri, Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Kirksville is home to ...

, Missouri, United States. Displaying an eclectic style, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in January, 2008. The church building is the second-oldest in Kirksville to be in continuous use by a congregation.

History

The Trinity Episcopal Church congregation has been a mainstay in the Kirksville area since 1870, when first established as an outreach mission. The first church building, a wooden structure, was constructed in 1870 on the site of the current church and served the congregation until 1916. A fire in 1907 caused major damage and despite repairs it was apparent the original building would not remain usable. In October, 1915 the congregation petitioned the Episcopal Diocese for assistance and were successful in reaching an agreement on financing. Well-known local architect and congregation member, Irwin Dunbar was selected to design the new building and during 1916 the former wooden structure was razed to clear path for the new church. Construction was begun in the spring of 1917 with the local firm of Eggert & Russel chosen for the task. The cornerstone was laid on May 14, 1917 and building progressed rapidly with the consecration of the new church on November 7, 1917. Total completion cost for the project was $11,555, the Diocese contributing $5,500. The building was constructed in a

bungalow/craftsman In the United States, the National Register of Historic Places classifies its listings by various types of architecture. Listed properties often are given one or more of 40 standard architectural style classifications that appear in the National ...

Gothic Revival style 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 ...

with the finished dimensions approximately 37 feet by 67 feet. With the 1907 fire still fresh in their minds, the congregation chose the slightly higher cost of a brick structure as opposed to wood. The building is somewhat asymmetrical in nature and sits atop a raised basement. When designing the interior, Irwin Dunbar chose some features that reflected not only a blend of Craftsman and Gothic Revival styles, but his own background as an engineer. Most notable of those are the open beam ceiling in the nave, constructed of

black walnut ''Juglans nigra'', the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south t ...

. These trusses provided support for the heavy English tile roof, yet kept the worship area free of cumbersome columns. Black walnut was used extensively throughout the interior for trim, window frames, and other ancillary features.

Today

The sanctuary is very much as originally designed and constructed. The replacement of a section of flat roof with an inclined one in 1998, has taken place. Save for upgrades in electrical, plumbing, and

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...

, the interior is largely untouched. An accessibility project in 2015, designed by Chinn, Rother, and Associates, of

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

, added a new wing to add accessibility improvements, including a lift, a new, wider entrance, and restrooms. As part of this project, one of the original

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows was moved from the sanctuary to the new addition.

Wicks Pipe Organ

The church features a

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...

, built in 1967 by Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois, with an additional

Dulzian The dulcian is a Renaissance woodwind instrument, with a double reed and a folded conical bore. Equivalent terms include en, curtal, german: Dulzian, french: douçaine, nl, dulciaan, it, dulciana, es, bajón, and pt, baixão. The predece ...

rank added later. The electro-pneumatic organ is at the front of the room, and exposed pipes. The organ was renovated by Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburg, Missouri in 2015.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Gothic Revival church buildings in Missouri Churches completed in 1917 Buildings and structures in Adair County, Missouri Episcopal church buildings in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Adair County, Missouri