Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Bermuda facts for kids

The Bermuda Cathedral in Hamilton

The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, often called the Bermuda Cathedral, is an Anglican church. It is a large and important church known as a cathedral. You can find it on Church Street in Hamilton, the capital city of Bermuda. Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.

History of the Cathedral

The First Trinity Church

The first church on this spot was called Trinity Church. It was designed by James Cranston from Oxford. Construction started in 1844 and finished in 1869. This church was built in the Early English style.

At that time, it was a "chapel of ease." This meant it was a smaller church that helped the main Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda. The Bishop's main church was in St. John's, Newfoundland.

A Fire and a New Beginning

Sadly, the first Trinity Church was destroyed by fire in 1884. After the fire, a Scottish architect named William Hay was hired to design a new building. He had helped with the first church's design too.

Hay designed most of the new cathedral. His partner, George Henderson, designed the eastern part. They designed the new church in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old medieval churches.

Building the Current Cathedral

The current Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity was built between 1886 and 1905. Like the first church, it was first a "chapel of ease." But in 1919, Bermuda got its own Bishop. That's when this church officially became a cathedral.

The cathedral is mostly built from Bermuda limestone. This is a common building material on the island. Some fancy decorations are made from carved Caen stone. This special stone was brought all the way from France.

Another Cathedral's Story

In 1892, something similar happened far away. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Newfoundland also burned down. Much of the city of St. John's was destroyed in a big fire. That cathedral was also rebuilt and finished in 1905, the same year as Bermuda's cathedral.

Visiting the Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is one of two cathedrals in Bermuda. The other is the Roman Catholic St. Theresa's, also in Hamilton.

If you visit the Bermuda Cathedral, you can pay a small fee to climb the tower. From the top, you get an amazing view of Hamilton city and its harbour. A famous organist named S. Drummond Wolff played music at the cathedral from 1959 to 1962.

Gallery

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  The original Trinity Church chapel-of-ease in 1879

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  Chapel-of-ease Trinity Church after the fire in 1884

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  A Church Parade by the Royal Navy and British Army in front of the incomplete cathedral, circa 1900

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  Interior

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  View from tower

See also

In Spanish: Catedral de la Santísima Trinidad (Bermudas) para niños