Trinity Church, Pittsburgh
Encyclopedia
Trinity Church is an Episcopal Church
and an Anglican Church in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. The present Gothic
church, the third structure to hold the congregation, was completed in 1872 on the site of a hilltop cemetery. The site, centered on a terrace above the historic "point" (where the Allegheny River
and the Monongahela River
join to form the Ohio River
) was sacred to Native Americans
as a burial ground. Early settlers also used this site as a cemetery. The congregation built its second church here in 1824. The Trinity Churchyard has the oldest marked graves west of the Atlantic Seaboard
, of both Native American leaders, French, English, and American colonists.
as a chapel of ease
. However, in 1869 the growing congregation erected a new structure.
in 1888.
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and an Anglican Church in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The present Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church, the third structure to hold the congregation, was completed in 1872 on the site of a hilltop cemetery. The site, centered on a terrace above the historic "point" (where the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
join to form the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
) was sacred to Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
as a burial ground. Early settlers also used this site as a cemetery. The congregation built its second church here in 1824. The Trinity Churchyard has the oldest marked graves west of the Atlantic Seaboard
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, of both Native American leaders, French, English, and American colonists.
The "Round Church"
The first Trinity Church was built two blocks to the west of this burial ground at the base of the hill or terrace initially. It was constructed from the 1780s to 1805.1824 Cathedral
In 1824 Trinity moved to its current site in the middle of the terrace churchyard with what is regarded as the first gothic structure in Western Pennsylvania. John Henry Hopkins led the design and construction of the cathedral, which was complete with butresses, a tower, pointed arches and a vaulted ceiling. The growing congregation built St. PeterSt. Peter's Episcopal Church (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an early example of the archaeological phase of Gothic Revival architecture, designed by the Philadelphia architect John Notman....
as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
. However, in 1869 the growing congregation erected a new structure.
1872 Cathedral
In 1872 the new Trinity Cathedral was completed. It was the tallest building in the city until the construction of the Allegheny County CourthouseAllegheny County Courthouse
Allegheny County Courthouse is a government building of Allegheny County located in the county seat, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.- Early structures:...
in 1888.