Trinity Episcopal Church (Chocowinity, North Carolina) facts for kids
Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic church located in Chocowinity, North Carolina, USA. It was started in 1774 by Reverend Nathaniel Blount. It's an Episcopal church, which is a branch of the Christian faith.
History of Trinity Church
In 1773, Nathaniel Blount traveled from Bath, NC all the way to London, England. He went there to become a priest. The Bishop of London officially made him a priest at Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.
When Mr. Blount returned to Bath, people called him "Parson Blount." He then had a church built. Two carpenters, Giles Shute and John Herrington, helped build it. This little building became known as Blount's Chapel.
In 1826, another important church leader, Bishop John Stark Ravenscroft, officially dedicated the building. It became known as Trinity Church and joined the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. During the 1800s, the Grimes family was very involved with this church. They owned a lot of land in Beaufort and Pitt Counties.
The nearby town of Grimesland was even named after them! A famous member of the church was Major General Bryan Grimes, who was a soldier in the Confederate Army. In 1874, the church celebrated its 100th birthday. To mark this special occasion, they added a formal chancel (the area around the altar) and beautiful stained glass windows. Later, in 1883, Trinity Church became part of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina when the larger Diocese of North Carolina was divided.
In the early 1900s, Reverend N. C. Hughes, Jr., who was the church's leader, helped keep the town's name as Chocowinity. Some people wanted to change it to names like Belview. Reverend Hughes also learned what "Chocowinity" meant from a Native American person in South Carolina. The meaning is "fish from many waters." Keeping this original Native American word helped the town have a special and unique name.
In 1939, the church building itself was moved! Horses pulled it on log rollers from its first spot to land the church already owned. A building called the parish hall (built around 1900) was already there, and the church was placed right next to it.
Later, in 1949, a two-story addition was built. This new part provided space for Sunday School classes, offices, a kitchen, and other general activities. The original historic chapel has been used continuously since it was built in 1774. Today, Trinity Church is located at 182 NC Hwy 33 West in Chocowinity.
Trinity Episcopal Cemetery
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Trinity Cemetery
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Trinity Cemetery, September 2013
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | NC 33, .07 miles west of junction with NC 1157, Washington, North Carolina |
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| Area | approximately one acre |
| Built | c. 1860 |
| Architect | Couper, J. D.; Walsh, C. M. |
| Architectural style | Funerary art |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000545 |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 2011 |
Around the mid-1800s, land was given to the church to be used as a cemetery. Many important town leaders and citizens from Beaufort County were buried there. This includes veterans from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Two sisters, Penelope and Aspley Grist, later donated even more land to make the cemetery bigger.
A special monument, called a cenotaph, was put in the center of the cemetery to remember Major General Bryan Grimes. A cenotaph is a monument for someone buried somewhere else. This monument is a popular spot for people interested in the Civil War and history to visit.
The cemetery is still used by the church and the community today. In August 2011, the cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the United States.
