In New York on Broadway, in the 21st century, there is an architectural masterpiece, the center of the cultural and religious life of the city, the Trinity Church. It is justly considered the best example of Gothic architecture. The church has belonged to America’s historical and cultural heritage since the second half of the 20th century. The Trinity Church has a rich history. It had survived several wars, fires, reconstructions and much more before it acquired the form everyone knows in the 21st century. Learn more at i-new-york.com.
Establishment of the church on the New York lands
The history of the church dates back to the late 17th century. At that time the Anglican community decided to buy land in Manhattan to build a new church for the city. The very first church building was constructed on Wall Street in 1698. It was located right across the Hudson River. The church was not large and had modest architecture, a gable roof and a small porch.
The first church building existed for 78 years. It burned down in the Great Fire in 1776, which occurred during the American Revolutionary War when the British troops occupied the city. The fire engulfed most of Manhattan and lasted all night long. Then the conflagration destroyed not only the church but also about 500 houses. Many New Yorkers were left homeless. They had to evacuate. The church meetings were also temporarily relocated from New York.
Restoration of the church
The new church construction began only twelve years after the fire. The building was constructed and consecrated in 1790. A new church was located opposite Wall Street. The second building of the church was slightly larger than the first one, longer and wider. A chapel was built at the church. The building height reached 200 feet tall. The new church was constructed significantly bigger for a reason, New York was an extremely fast-growing city back then. The number of parishioners increased almost every day.
The second church building remained in Manhattan even less than the previous one, 49 years. The church was demolished because of heavy snowfall in the winter of 1838-39.
In 1839, in Manhattan, the construction of the church began over again, the one which is known in the 21st century. The construction lasted seven years. The third church was much more massive than the last two. The height of the building was over 280 feet tall.
Interesting facts about the Trinity Church
For many years, the church served not only as a place for prayer but also as a real lighthouse for ships entering the waters of New York. Particularly since the church at that time was one of the tallest buildings both in New York and in the United States territory. The church rightfully held the title of the tallest building in America until 1869, when St. Michael’s Church was built in Chicago. The church was the highest building in New York City until 1890 when the World Building was constructed.
During the terrorist attacks that happened in New York on September 11, 2001, people hid inside the Trinity Church. They took refuge from the debris shattering from the destroyed first tower of the World Trade Center.
Another noteworthy fact about the church is that people do not just come there to pray or make a confession but to also enjoy live music. The church’s music program has been active since 1969. There are also several choirs at the church. There you can hear not only famous classical melodies but also modern music.
In addition, the parish of the church is one of the richest individual parishes worldwide. In 2011, the annual returns on real estate ownership were 158 million dollars and net income amounted to 38 million dollars.
