Holy Trinity History
The history of a church is, in part, written in the stained glass
windows which adorn the building. Here, you will see these beautiful
gifts, given in memory of loved ones, from decades, or in our case,
centuries past. Since 1852 people have worshiped God in this place.
From 1907 to 1962 Holy Trinity was a mission, and then became full
parish. Two things which are somewhat different about the design of
Holy Trinity are, it is not a cruciform, nor does it have an undercroft. Here is a very nice article about church buildings.
The Church of The Holy Trinity Episcopal
Holy Trinity, Nashville, is one of the purest examples of classic 19th century Gothic
architecture in the South. The building is located on a small triangular lot
at the corner of High Street (now Sixth Avenue, South) and Ewing
Avenue. Mr. M. W. Wetmore donated the property in 1851. On May 7, 1852,
the cornerstone was laid by The Right Reverend James Hervey Otey, first
Episcopal bishop of Tennessee. In 1853, the church
building was
finished, except for the tower, which was completed in 1887. The
consecration took place on May 27, 1888. Architect from the firm of
Willis and
Dudley of New York chose the English village church design for the
building. Furthermore, the church has been listed and described in a
number of publications concerned with historical structures, and was
nominated and received an Architectural Award from the Historical
Commission of Metropolitan Nashville.
During the Civil War, church services were discontinued. In 1862, the
church building was taken over by the Union Army, where soldiers used it for a powder magazine, and a stable for the horses. The
baptismal font (a gift from Christ Church) was used as a
washbasin. The altar was put to use as an operating table for the
soldiers. After the war, the United States Government paid
approximately $1,300 to the church for war damages.
Episcopalians who had African ancestors, first worshiped at Holy
Trinity in 1895. In 1902, a congregation for people of African ancestry
was organized. Then, in 1907, Holy Trinity was given to the
communicants of African ancestry. The Reverend A. J Coombs, the first
priest of African ancestry, served from 1907-1915. Even though, the
attendance at the church is still predominately members of African
ancestry, the grace of the parish of Holy Trinity sets a tone for all
to worship who heed God’s call.
Holy Trinity’s mission is to create an environment that increases
our Christian joy and faith through sharing God’s word, power,
and love and through serving our community.
Holy Trinity History 