Trinity Episcopal Church is located in

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

, 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 ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

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. Trinity Episcopal Church was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

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 or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

.TEC NRHP Form

History

Trinity Episcopal Church, a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, was officially founded in 1829, although the first Episcopal 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 Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...

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 the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; sinc ...

and Senator, John W. Stevenson, belonged to Trinity Episcopal Church. The first public library in Covington was built by Trinity Episcopal. 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, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, 385 people died, one million people were left homeless and property losses reached $500 million ...

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 (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

, nave,

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, 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 us ...

, 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 ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

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