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Christ Chapel erected/
architect:
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Christ Chapel remodeled/
architect:
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- 1913
- Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson,
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Trinity Church erected/
architect:
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- Trinity Church - 1886
- Original plans: Arthur Gilman
- Revised plans: Cyrus K.
Porter
|
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Trinity Church contractors
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Charles Berrick and John Briggs |
| |
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Parish House erected/
architect:
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- 1904
- Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson
|
| |
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Status:
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City of Buffalo Landmark |
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Oldest Episcopal Churches in Buffalo:
|
- (First) St. Paul's - 1819
- (First) Trinity - 1842
- (First) St. John's - 1848 (presently the site of Dunn Baseball
Park)
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The text below is reprinted with permission:
"Houses of Worship: A Guide to the Religious Architecture of Buffalo, New York,"
by James Napora. Master of Architecture thesis. Found at Buffalo Central Library
NA5235 B8 N37 1995
Trinity Church founded: The second Episcopal church to be established in
Buffalo, Trinity Church was organized on 12 October, 1836, in a meeting held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (photo above).
The charter members, former members of St. Paul's, began worshipping under Rev.
Cicero Stephen Hawks (photo above), a descendant of Pocahontas, in the former
Duffy's Buffalo Theater on the southwest corner of Washington and Swan. While here,
they began planning for the construction of their first house of worship. Placing
the foundation in 1838, they did not complete the building until 1842.
In October, 1839 they secured the use of the former Universalist Church on
Washington Street near South Division (photo above), remaining here until moving
to a second floor space in the Young Men's Association Building on South Division
between Main and Washington (photo above) in the spring of 1841.
Church on Washington and Mohawk: With their building on Washington and Mohawk
Streets (photo above) partially completed, they celebrated their first service there
in December, 1842. On 19 January, 1843 Bishop DeLancy (photo above) consecrated
the completed structure. As the congregation grew, they once enlarged the building
in 1847 by adding thirty-five pews and a chancel.
St. John's Episcopal Church founded: A schism arose amongst the members
of the congregation in 1846 over the assignment of pews within the building. To further
encourage family attendance at services, a number of square pews holding eight or
ten people apiece were sold for family occupancy. One such sale displaced a group
of bachelors. With Trinity Church unable to accommodate the group within the church,
the men left the congregation and established St. John's Episcopal Church
(photo above), now on Lafayette and Bidwell.
In 1872, the congregation began developing plans for the construction of a new church.
They contracted architect H. H. Richardson
to provide a suitable design (photo above). With plans prepared they began looking
for a appropriate site. The purchase of a lot on Delaware near Johnson Park divided
the members resulting in the abandonment of the project.
St. John's and Christ merge: In early 1883, the members of the church approached
Christ Church on Delaware with the prospect of uniting the two congregations. Since
Christ Church was in a poor financial situation, they accepted the offer. Under the
terms of the consolidation, Christ Church relinquished control of their Delaware
Avenue property consisting of the building lots and the chapel thereon. Trinity agreed
to purchase the adjacent lot containing the foundation of the church building placed
in 1869 and to construct a 750 seat building on it.
Trinity Church: While planning for the construction of the current house of
worship, they reconsidered the original plans by Arthur Gilham (photo above). Rejecting
them as being too costly, they approached Buffalo architect Cyrus
K. Porter who redrew Gilman's original plans. They placed the cornerstone of
the building on 22 July, 1884 and dedicated the completed house of worship on 25
April, 1888.
Constructed of Medina sandstone, the
$l25.000 Gothic edifice is complete as designed except for the $25.000 tower which
was never built.
Stained glass windows: The church is well know for its incredible collection
of stained glass windows by John LaFarge, Louis Comfort Tiffany and others. Of particular
note are the five windows of the apse by LaFarge and his window titled "The
Sealing of the Twelve Tribes," the topic of which is drawn from Revelations
7. The window, originally exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1889, won LaFarge
the insignia of the Legion of Honor from the French government.
