Trinity Episcopal Church is an
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
Litchfield, Minnesota, United States, built in 1871 in
Carpenter Gothic style. It has been attributed to the noted New York architect
Richard Upjohn. It was 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 v ...
in 1975 for having local significance in the theme of architecture.
It was nominated as a superlative example of Carpenter Gothic design from the mid-19th century.
Description
As originally constructed in 1871, Trinity Episcopal Church consisted of the
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 ...
and
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 ...
, plus a
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 ...
and
vestry
A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...
on the north. Immediately to the east was a freestanding
church hall
A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church, generally for community and charitable use. used for the parish school. Both buildings were constructed at the same time, along with a
rectory
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage.
Function
A clergy house is typically ow ...
a block and a half to the west. The gap between the church and hall was later filled in, creating a single structure. The three-story
bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
and south transept are also later additions.
The building's
board and batten
A batten is most commonly a strip of solid material, historically wood but can also be of plastic, metal, or fiberglass. Battens are variously used in construction, sailing, and other fields.
In the lighting industry, battens refer to linea ...
walls were a signature of Episcopal churches from the 1850s to the 1870s. On the Trinity Episcopal Church, though, the exterior walls are highly embellished with
wainscoting below a horizontal band at the height of the window sills. Directly below each window is a decorative panel of crossed boards. These elements are not found on the parish hall, indicating it was not designed by the same architect.
The church's
lancet window
A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet wi ...
s and door and side-entry bell tower are typical of Carpenter Gothic architecture.
The church's original pine furnishings were replaced in the 1950s. However very similar furnishings can be seen in the contemporaneous
St. Mark's Episcopal Chapel near
Annandale, Minnesota
Annandale is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,228 at the 2010 census.
Annandale has been dubbed "The Heart of the Lakes" because it has 26 lakes within a 10-mile radius.
History
Annandale was platted in 1 ...
.
Architect
Historical documents do not record who the architect was for the church building. It is believed to have been designed by prominent architect Richard Upjohn of New York City, famous for his
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 ...
churches. Upjohn had a plausible connection to the project, given that the construction funds were largely donated by Upjohn's famous
Trinity Church in Manhattan and he had designed the Brooklyn home of the family after whom Litchfield was named. The building's grace and sophistication indicate that Trinity Episcopal Church was indeed one of Upjohn's last works. Additionally, the original rectory resembles the architect's own home in
Garrison, New York, though perhaps coincidentally.
Current use
Trinity Episcopal Church is still an active parish in the
Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota
The Episcopal Church in Minnesota, formerly known as the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which has jurisdiction over all of Minnesota, except Clay County, which is in the Episco ...
. As of 2021, the parish is served by several diocesan priests and a local priest-in-charge. The original rectory a short distance away has since become a private residence.
See also
*
List of Anglican churches
This is a list of Anglican churches that are notable as congregations or as church buildings or both.
The Anglican Communion is an international association of churches consisting of the Church of England and of national and regional Anglican ch ...
*
References
External links
*
{{National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
19th-century Episcopal church buildings
Buildings and structures in Meeker County, Minnesota
Carpenter Gothic church buildings in Minnesota
Churches completed in 1871
Episcopal church buildings in Minnesota
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places in Meeker County, Minnesota
Richard Upjohn church buildings