Enchanting organ music, multicolored rays of light, and overwhelming feelings of peace are just some of the attributes townspeople have been experiencing for more than 100 years at this historic site.
Trinity Episcopal Church is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Mount Airy and is believed to be the first made from locally sourced, famous granite.
Today, July 25, Trinity celebrates 125 years of official services.
The Episcopal faith has been in Mount Airy since before the 1850s. Irregular services, meetings, and social gatherings were taking place at meeting houses, other churches, schoolhouses and even at the opera house. One Surry County history assessment reports that “The Episcopalians around Mount Airy first banded together in 1890, holding services in Miss Belle Grave’s old schoolhouse on Rockford Street.”
After years of growth and impromptu locations the Episcopalian community decided a building of their own was needed. On March 26, 1896, this dream was starting to become a reality. A contract was let to Mr. J.A. Tesh and the fundraising began.
Thomas Woodroffe, one of the owners of the newly organized granite quarry operations, pledged to donate granite for the building. His son Francis “Frank” Woodroffe drew up the plans for the church. Many other people helped in the fundraising and creation of Trinity; Thomas Fawcett, Judge Porter Graves, the Armfields’, the Messers’ and more. Mrs. Thomas Fawcett drew up paintings to sell for benefit of the church.
The design was based on another church in Oxford, England, mimicking the gothic style architecture. Not only was the stone rubble masonry structurally sound, but it was also beautiful to look at. The combination between gothic arches and stained glass made the structure a true masterpiece in the architecture world.
Construction began in early spring 1896 and was completed around June of that same year. Tesh, the contractor, and builder on site also built several other notable structures like the Mount Airy Passenger Depot, The First Presbyterian Church, and the W.E. Merritt house.
Nothing was left to do but throw open the doors and let the people come. The first service was held in July following completion. In 1900 Bishop Joseph Blount Cheshire consecrated the church building, declaring it sacred.
Through the years some things have stayed the same, while others have changed. In the 1920s or ’30s a small reed organ was added, bringing a new kind of music to the church, some accounts say that prior to the organ, guitars and other instruments were used to lift up worship tunes. The Woodroffe boys were said to be great musicians. One record claims that Trinity sponsored the first ever church dance held in Mount Airy at the Goldsmith building sometime during the 1930s.
In 1953, Trinity’s identification as a mission ceased to exist. With 77 communicants the church was finally established as a parish.
The year 1954 saw the creation of the Parish Hall constructed with the same granite. This addition included classrooms, a kitchen, an office, parlor, and parlor hall. All the hard work and history paid off when Trinity Episcopal Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, 90 years after being built.
Today the parish is a thriving community of humanitarians, volunteers, and love, all packed into one of Mount Airy’s most iconic and historic buildings.
Happy Anniversary Trinity!
Emily Morgan is the Guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478 x229
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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