Trinity Church

The handsome Episcopal church standing at the west end of Wall Street, along with its incredible graveyard, is jam-packed with American history. It's actually the third Trinity Church at that site -- and the original goes all the way back to pre-Revolutionary days. Many figures from America’s Revolutionary War era are buried in its burial ground, among them Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford, Robert Fulton and Albert Gallatin.

King William III of England granted the church’s charter in 1697, and it was built in 1698 with financial support from numerous figures including the notorious privateer Captain Kidd. The Anglican church’s first wood-and-stone building was destroyed during the British occupation of the city, which was just the southern end of Manhattan in those days, by the Great New York City Fire of 1776, a blaze that ruined hundreds of buildings and left thousands of people homeless. It was soon replaced by another church, which was destroyed by severe snowstorms in the winter of 1839. But the third Trinity Church, completed in 1846, is still on the site today, and it is a very impressive structure indeed.

Designed by Richard Upjohn, Trinity Church is considered one of the best Gothic Revival buildings in the U.S. Its medieval architectural features underscore the clergy's consecrated space and the hierarchical nature of the church -- including a chancel, a towering 280-foot spire, flying buttresses and beautiful stained-glass windows. The church's doors, designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt (he also designed the base of the Statue of Liberty), are modeled after Ghiberti’s famous Baptistery doors in Florence, Italy, and include sculptures by Austrian immigrant Karl Bitter among others. Today’s Trinity has an active congregation and serves the community with many ongoing programs. It is also known for its bell tower with 23 bells.

Nearby in Trinity’s parish is the historical St. Paul’s Chapel, which was completed in 1766 and continues to make history. Directly across from the World Trade Center towers, St. Paul’s miraculously survived a hail of falling metal and fire during Sept. 11, and served as a focal point for the volunteer effort afterward. In Colonial days when the chapel was first built, St. Paul’s, just five blocks from the more affluent Trinity in what was then a red-light district, was originally intended as the “country church” for poorer citizens. However, George Washington himself worshiped at the chapel, which is now Manhattan’s oldest public building in continuous use.

By Kathie