Trinity Episcopal Church (Houghton, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trinity Episcopal Church |
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Church in March 2012
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| Location | 205 East Montezuma Avenue Houghton, Michigan |
| Built | 1906-1910 |
| Architect | John Sutcliffe |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival |
| Governing body | Private |
| Designated | July 17, 1986 |
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Trinity Episcopal Church is a beautiful old church located at 205 East Montezuma Avenue in Houghton, Michigan. It's built in the Gothic Revival style, which means it looks like churches from the Middle Ages. This church was officially named a Michigan State Historic Site on July 17, 1986.
The building you see today is actually the second church on this spot. The first one was made of wood and was replaced by the current brick building in 1910. The church's ideas and beliefs are based on something called the Oxford Movement, which was a religious movement in the 1800s.
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The Church's Early Days
The Trinity Episcopal Church community started on July 17, 1860. The Episcopal Bishop of Michigan, Reverend Samuel A. McCoskry, met with nine business people from Houghton and Hancock to get things going.
The very first clergyman sent to serve the church had a funny start. He arrived in Houghton on a Saturday but immediately left on the same boat that brought him! Public church services finally began on September 15, 1860. The name Trinity Church was chosen at the first meeting of the church leaders, called the vestry, on July 13, 1861.
Moving the First Church Building
The church's first permanent building was a wooden one. It was built across the Portage Canal in Hancock, on land given by the Quincy Mining Company. But soon, everyone decided it would be better to move the church building to Houghton. A church member named Shelden owned land there that was perfect.
So, the wooden church was placed on a large flat boat, called a barge, to be moved across the water. One night, it came loose from its ropes and was found floating freely in the morning! Luckily, they were able to get it back and successfully move it to Houghton. That wooden church building stayed in Houghton until 1910.
Building the Current Church
In early 1910, the old wooden church was taken down. This made space for the new church, which is the one standing today. The new church was built using brick and a special type of stone called Jacobsville Sandstone. It was finished on Easter of that same year.
Later, in 1995, a two-story addition was built onto the church. This new part holds the pastor's office. The current church was recognized as a Michigan State Historic Site on July 17, 1986. A special sign with information about the church was put up on April 24, 1987.
What the Church Looks Like
The Trinity Episcopal Church is made of brick and built in the Gothic Revival style. This style often includes pointed arches and tall windows, making buildings look grand and old. The bottom part of the church, called the basement façade, and the decorative tops of the walls, known as copings, are all made from Jacobsville Sandstone.
The building has a square tower on one corner. The top of this tower has crenellations, which are the notched patterns that look like the tops of old castles.
The person who designed the church building was John B. Sutcliffe. Inside, the beautiful artwork and carvings were created by Alois Lang. The way the inside of the church was designed was also influenced by the Oxford Movement. The wooden beams that support the roof are visible inside, forming arches that stretch across the main part of the church, called the nave. The church also has a large pipe organ, an Austin Organ, which was put in place in 1913.
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