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Trinity Episcopal Church (Danville, Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
Trinity Episcopal Church in Danville, Kentucky
was one of the first churches organized in the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky
. Trinity Church is the oldest in-use church structure in Danville and the oldest continuously used Episcopal church building in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington
as well as the second oldest in Kentucky. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
in Kentucky dates to 1796 when Christ Church
in Lexington
was organized. It wasn't until 1809, however, that the parish was formally established when the first vestry
was elected. In 1822 a second Episcopal church was established in Louisville
, it too being named Christ Church. The building, which is now Christ Church Cathedral
, was completed in 1824. In 1829 Reverend George T. Chapman, rector of Lexington's Christ Church from 1820–1830, proposed the formation of a Diocese. In working towards this goal, Reverend Chapman visited Danville and organized a congregation. The group of local citizens who were instrumental in the formation of the new church were mostly physicians, lawyers, bankers, merchants, and landowners. Members of the committee formed to erect a church building included Dr. Ephraim McDowell
and his wife, Sarah Shelby McDowell, daughter of Isaac Shelby
, the first Governor of Kentucky. Another influential member and largest contributor to the church was James Birney, a wealthy merchant, who was the father of James G. Birney
, the prominent abolitionist.
The new church building, completed in late 1830 or early 1831, was built by Robert Russel, Jr., a local brick maker and mason. Russel, a native of Virginia, settled in Danville in 1805. He built almost all of the early brick buildings in Danville, including Old Centre
in 1820. Russel's fees must have been modest for the vestry minutes indicate that it was decided to begin construction as soon as $1,500 had been subscribed. The new building was consecrated on June 3, 1831, by the Reverend William Meade, then assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia
, who was to become one of the most influential leaders of the Episcopal Church. The new Kentucky Diocese, having at this time no bishop of its own, had invited him to visit Kentucky to perform such functions as ordaining new clergy, confirming laymen, and consecrating churches.
The first rector of the parish was the Reverend Gideon McMilan. In addition to his duties as rector of Trinity Church, Reverend McMillan regularly traveled throughout the surrounding area on horseback, establishing missions in Harrodsburg
and Lancaster
. Reverend McMillan's service to the church was short lived, for he fell victim to the cholera
epidemic of 1833, after ministering to the needs of the community. He was buried along the south wall of the church, which is now covered by the chancel.
Trinity Church continued to grow and to hold regular services. In 1860, however, the church was severely damaged in a fire which destroyed most of the Danville commercial district. The day after the fire, the building was inspected and it was determined that the four walls of the church and the vestibule which remained intact, were structurally sound. A new roof and bell tower were constructed, as well as a recessed chancel. Also at this time the original window openings were replaced by paired lancet windows with wooden tracery and a quatrefoil design centered above. The remodeled interior was plain with a balcony and organ over the entrance, and the nave was covered with simple open-timber roof. Thus, after the restoration was completed in 1861, the church which had been constructed in a modified Federal mode, was transformed into a fine Gothic Revival structure. The church, which has remained unaltered, continues to be a good example of a Gothic Revival ecclesiastical design.
For several months in 1862 the newly restored church was used as a hospital for Union troops wounded in the Battle of Perryville
, which took place on October 8, 1862. A drawing of the reception of the Union troops into Danville after the battle, which appeared in the November 8, 1862 issue of Harper's Weekly Magazine
, clearly shows the outline of Trinity Church.
projecting forward from the central bay of the facade
. The walls of the vestibule, facade, and sides were laid in Flemish bond with queen closers
at the corners. Two rectangular openings, filled with clear glass and Venetian shutters, were spaced along the sides. In 1842 a cupola
was added to the vestibule to house the church bell. In the interior of the church, the ceiling was supported by two rows of three Doric columns. In the rear of the church (north wall) was a gallery
for the organ and choir.
In 1860, the church was gutted and the roof destroyed in a fire. After the fire it was determined that the vestibule and the four walls that remained standing were structurally sound and that it would be safe to rebuild upon them. The reconstruction plans, implemented in 1860, called for several alterations which transformed the church into a Gothic Revival structure. The chancel
was recessed and three lancet windows, the central opening being taller and broader than the others, were added over the altars. Two narrow lancet windows, designed to light the choir loft, were added in the facade, as well as one in the bell tower
. The original rectangular openings were replaced by paired lancets, surmounted by a quatrefoil
in a circle. All the windows were filled with stained glass
and decorated with wooden tracery
, with stone sills below and a keystone
above.
The original cupola was replaced by a bell tower and a tall octagonal steeple
which is crowned with a cross. Narrow louvered lancet openings are located on the four sides at the base of the steeple. Triangular vents are placed in the middle of the tower.
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
was one of the first churches organized in the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky
Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky
The Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the western half of the state of Kentucky. The diocese, which originally comprised all of Kentucky, consecrated its first bishop, the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Bosworth Smith, in 1832...
. Trinity Church is the oldest in-use church structure in Danville and the oldest continuously used Episcopal church building in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington
Episcopal Diocese of Lexington
The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington is the diocese of The Episcopal Church with jurisdiction over eastern Kentucky. It was created in 1895 from the Diocese of Kentucky which continues to have jurisdiction of the western portion of the state. The cathedral for the Diocese of Kentucky is located in...
as well as the second oldest in Kentucky. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The origin of the Episcopal churchEpiscopal 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...
in Kentucky dates to 1796 when Christ Church
Christ Church Cathedral (Lexington, Kentucky)
Christ Church Cathedral is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington and is located at 166 Market Street, Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1796, Christ Church Cathedral is the oldest Episcopal church in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Rev...
in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
was organized. It wasn't until 1809, however, that the parish was formally established when the first vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
was elected. In 1822 a second Episcopal church was established in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, it too being named Christ Church. The building, which is now Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral (Louisville, Kentucky)
The historic Christ Church Cathedral, located at 421 South 2nd Street Louisville, Kentucky, was founded on May 31, 1822. The original church building was completed in 1824, a new Romanesque Revival facade was added in 1870....
, was completed in 1824. In 1829 Reverend George T. Chapman, rector of Lexington's Christ Church from 1820–1830, proposed the formation of a Diocese. In working towards this goal, Reverend Chapman visited Danville and organized a congregation. The group of local citizens who were instrumental in the formation of the new church were mostly physicians, lawyers, bankers, merchants, and landowners. Members of the committee formed to erect a church building included Dr. Ephraim McDowell
Ephraim McDowell
Ephraim McDowell was an American physician. He was the first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor.-Biography:...
and his wife, Sarah Shelby McDowell, daughter of Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
, the first Governor of Kentucky. Another influential member and largest contributor to the church was James Birney, a wealthy merchant, who was the father of James G. Birney
James G. Birney
James Gillespie Birney was an abolitionist, politician and jurist born in Danville, Kentucky. From 1816 to 1818, he served in the Kentucky House of Representatives...
, the prominent abolitionist.
The new church building, completed in late 1830 or early 1831, was built by Robert Russel, Jr., a local brick maker and mason. Russel, a native of Virginia, settled in Danville in 1805. He built almost all of the early brick buildings in Danville, including Old Centre
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
in 1820. Russel's fees must have been modest for the vestry minutes indicate that it was decided to begin construction as soon as $1,500 had been subscribed. The new building was consecrated on June 3, 1831, by the Reverend William Meade, then assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
The Diocese of Virginia is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing 38 counties in the northern and central parts of the state of Virginia. The diocese was organized in 1785 and is one of the Episcopal Church's nine original dioceses. However, the diocese has...
, who was to become one of the most influential leaders of the Episcopal Church. The new Kentucky Diocese, having at this time no bishop of its own, had invited him to visit Kentucky to perform such functions as ordaining new clergy, confirming laymen, and consecrating churches.
The first rector of the parish was the Reverend Gideon McMilan. In addition to his duties as rector of Trinity Church, Reverend McMillan regularly traveled throughout the surrounding area on horseback, establishing missions in Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Harrodsburg is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,014 at the 2000 census. It is the oldest city in Kentucky.-History:...
and Lancaster
Lancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster is a city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,734. It is the county seat of Garrard County. Located south of Lexington, it is the site of the Kennedy House, said to have been used in Uncle Tom's Cabin. The controversial...
. Reverend McMillan's service to the church was short lived, for he fell victim to the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic of 1833, after ministering to the needs of the community. He was buried along the south wall of the church, which is now covered by the chancel.
Trinity Church continued to grow and to hold regular services. In 1860, however, the church was severely damaged in a fire which destroyed most of the Danville commercial district. The day after the fire, the building was inspected and it was determined that the four walls of the church and the vestibule which remained intact, were structurally sound. A new roof and bell tower were constructed, as well as a recessed chancel. Also at this time the original window openings were replaced by paired lancet windows with wooden tracery and a quatrefoil design centered above. The remodeled interior was plain with a balcony and organ over the entrance, and the nave was covered with simple open-timber roof. Thus, after the restoration was completed in 1861, the church which had been constructed in a modified Federal mode, was transformed into a fine Gothic Revival structure. The church, which has remained unaltered, continues to be a good example of a Gothic Revival ecclesiastical design.
For several months in 1862 the newly restored church was used as a hospital for Union troops wounded in the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
, which took place on October 8, 1862. A drawing of the reception of the Union troops into Danville after the battle, which appeared in the November 8, 1862 issue of Harper's Weekly Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, clearly shows the outline of Trinity Church.
Description
The original church structure consisted of a rectangular block with a two-story vestibuleVestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
projecting forward from the central bay of the facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. The walls of the vestibule, facade, and sides were laid in Flemish bond with queen closers
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
at the corners. Two rectangular openings, filled with clear glass and Venetian shutters, were spaced along the sides. In 1842 a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
was added to the vestibule to house the church bell. In the interior of the church, the ceiling was supported by two rows of three Doric columns. In the rear of the church (north wall) was a gallery
Minstrels' gallery
A minstrels' gallery is a form of balcony, often inside the great hall of a castle or manor house, and used to allow musicians to perform, sometimes discreetly hidden from the guests below.-Notable minstrel's galleries:...
for the organ and choir.
In 1860, the church was gutted and the roof destroyed in a fire. After the fire it was determined that the vestibule and the four walls that remained standing were structurally sound and that it would be safe to rebuild upon them. The reconstruction plans, implemented in 1860, called for several alterations which transformed the church into a Gothic Revival structure. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was recessed and three lancet windows, the central opening being taller and broader than the others, were added over the altars. Two narrow lancet windows, designed to light the choir loft, were added in the facade, as well as one in the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. The original rectangular openings were replaced by paired lancets, surmounted by a quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
in a circle. All the windows were filled with stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and decorated with wooden tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
, with stone sills below and a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
above.
The original cupola was replaced by a bell tower and a tall octagonal steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
which is crowned with a cross. Narrow louvered lancet openings are located on the four sides at the base of the steeple. Triangular vents are placed in the middle of the tower.