Holy Trinity Church, New Plymouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church |
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| Holy Trinity Church (Anglican) New Plymouth |
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Holy Trinity Church, from the north
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| 39°02′58″S 174°05′55″E / 39.049436°S 174.098652°E | |
| Location | 12 Henui Street, Fitzroy, New Plymouth |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Te Henui Church |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1842 |
| Founder(s) | Bishop George Selwyn |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) |
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| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1845–1872 |
| Completed | 1872 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Timber |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Holy Trinity Fitzroy |
Holy Trinity Church is a very old and important Anglican church located at 12 Henui Street in Fitzroy, New Plymouth, New Zealand. It's considered a special historical building by Heritage New Zealand.
This church is unique because its beginnings date back to when the first European settlers arrived in New Plymouth. The building you see today replaced an earlier chapel from the 1840s. That first chapel was started by Bishop George Selwyn and designed by Frederick Thatcher, an architect who was one of the first settlers in 1843.
The current church building has grown over time. It was changed in 1872, then made bigger in 1888 by James Sanderson. It was expanded again in 1903 by Francis Messenger and renovated in 1927 (also by Messenger) and in the 1960s.
Contents
The Church's Early Days
New Plymouth was chosen as the second European colony in New Zealand. Settlers started arriving there from 1841. These early settlers wanted to have familiar spiritual places, like churches, just like they had back home. They also wanted to share Christianity with the Māori people. Most colonists belonged to the Church of England. So, the Church Mission Society helped appoint a Bishop for New Zealand. His job was to set up the Anglican Church across the new Diocese of New Zealand, which at first included the whole country and some Polynesian islands.
Bishop Selwyn's Arrival
In 1841, George Augustus Selwyn was chosen as the Bishop of New Zealand. He arrived in 1842 and began his work.
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After visiting New Plymouth in October 1842, Bishop Selwyn started planning to build churches in this new area. He appointed William Bolland as the Deacon for New Plymouth. He also gave Reverend Bolland and his family a sandstone house at Te Henui to live in.
Bishop Selwyn also connected with Frederick Thatcher. Thatcher was an architect trained in London who arrived in New Plymouth in 1843. He was very important in creating the unique Gothic Revival style for churches in New Zealand.
Building the First Church
With money from Bishop Selwyn, Reverend Bolland and architect Frederick Thatcher began building two new churches. One was St Mary’s Church in central New Plymouth. The other was the Holy Trinity Church at Henui, which is now in Fitzroy.
The Holy Trinity Church officially opened in 1845. Bishop George Selwyn laid its foundation stone. It is known as the "oldest building built for (Anglican) Divine service in Taranaki." It is also one of New Zealand’s oldest churches, or parts of churches, that are still standing.
The very first building was made simply with boards and thatch. It was only meant to be a temporary church. However, the Taranaki Wars and other events delayed building a permanent church. It wasn't until 1872 that the temporary materials were replaced with more solid boards, battens, and shingles.
How the Church Grew
The church building you see today is the result of many expansions. Changes in the 1870s and 1880s happened during a time when many other early churches in New Zealand were also being replaced or made bigger.
After being changed in 1872, the building was divided in two in 1888 to add side sections called transepts. After three more big building projects, the church grew much larger. The small, simple original building became a good-sized timber church. These additions gave the Holy Trinity Church Gothic Revival features. These include transepts, a rounded end section (apse), tall, narrow windows (lancet windows), and high, steep roofs (gables).
The Holy Trinity Church is historically important because it is directly linked to how the Church of England was set up in New Zealand. It is also connected to important people like Bishop Selwyn, Reverend Bolland, and Archdeacon Govett. These people helped shape the Church in the mid-1800s. The original building was also one of the few to survive the Taranaki Wars.
Holy Trinity Church is also important for its architecture. It has links to Frederick Thatcher and other important local architects like James Sanderson and Francis John (Frank) Messenger.
The current building was officially recognized as a historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) on 23 August 2012.
Image gallery
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Holy Trinity Church -
Holy Trinity Church, east side -
Holy Trinity Church, west side -
Holy Trinity Church, south side
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