Trinity Episcopal Church (Muscatine, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Trinity Episcopal Church is a parish church in the Diocese of Iowa
. The church is located in Muscatine, Iowa
, United States
, at 411 East 2nd Street. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, the same year. The next year when Bishop Kemper visited he reports the church had seven communicants and timber for the construction of a church building. The bishop contributed $100 towards its construction.
The church was a frame building that measured 22x50 feet, and was one and three-fourths stories high. It had eight windows, fifteen lights, and a small vestry room. When Trinity was not using the building the Presbyterian Congregation
held services in the building. A bell was mounted on the vestry room and it was utilized by both congregations. The Freemasons completed a second story on the building and occupied that part of the building. Bishop Kemper was opposed to the Masons presence in the building and refused to consecrate the church. This was the first church of any denomination built in Muscatine County, and the first Episcopal Church in Iowa.
The church had no rector
initially and was visited by the Rev. Zachariah Goldsmith from Trinity Church
in Davenport
. On June 28, 1842 the church was reorganized at a meeting with fourteen people present. The Rev. Samuel Sherwell, a deacon
from New York
, was placed in charge of the church on May 12, 1843.
, was chosen to design the new church. The new church was built on the same lot as the old church. The basement and foundations were built in the fall of 1851 and the cornerstone was laid on November 11. Construction on the church took three years. It is built of sandstone
in the Gothic Revival style.
Bishop Kemper came to Muscatine to consecrate the new church on May 25, 1854. He was assisted by the Rev. John Ufford. The building was enlarged in 1855 and the bell was placed in the cupola in 1856.
, rector of St. Luke’s Church in Rochester, New York
was elected bishop at Trinity Church in Davenport.
were the original centers for the people of Iowa to gather for the program.
Lightning struck the church during an early morning thunderstorm on August 9, 2010. Significant damage was done to the cupola on the front of the church and an iron cross on top.
Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which covers all of Iowa. It is in Province VI. Its offices are in Des Moines, and it has two cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of St...
. The church is located in Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 22,886 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,697 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Muscatine County...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at 411 East 2nd Street. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Development of the Episcopal Church in Muscatine
The Episcopal Church in Muscatine can trace it roots to the arrival of Matthew Matthews, his son Dorrance, and his brothers Hiram and Joseph, and their families in 1839 when the town was named Bloomington. They were visited by the Rt. Rev. Jackson KemperJackson Kemper
Bishop Jackson Kemper was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Baptized David Jackson Kemper by Dr...
, Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, the same year. The next year when Bishop Kemper visited he reports the church had seven communicants and timber for the construction of a church building. The bishop contributed $100 towards its construction.
The church was a frame building that measured 22x50 feet, and was one and three-fourths stories high. It had eight windows, fifteen lights, and a small vestry room. When Trinity was not using the building the Presbyterian Congregation
First Presbyterian Church (Muscatine, Iowa)
First Presbyterian Church is located in Muscatine, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:The congregation was initially organized in 1839. On February 2, 1842 the Rev. John Stocker became the first pastor and the church itself was organized with...
held services in the building. A bell was mounted on the vestry room and it was utilized by both congregations. The Freemasons completed a second story on the building and occupied that part of the building. Bishop Kemper was opposed to the Masons presence in the building and refused to consecrate the church. This was the first church of any denomination built in Muscatine County, and the first Episcopal Church in Iowa.
The church had no rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
initially and was visited by the Rev. Zachariah Goldsmith from Trinity Church
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Davenport, Iowa)
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is the historic cathedral in the Diocese of Iowa. The cathedral is located on the bluff overlooking Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974...
in Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
. On June 28, 1842 the church was reorganized at a meeting with fourteen people present. The Rev. Samuel Sherwell, a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, was placed in charge of the church on May 12, 1843.
Present Church
The Rev. John B. Calhoun, who came to Trinity in 1850, asked parishioners to subscribe towards a new church building. In the spring of 1851 sixteen members subscribed $1,250. He was sent east to collect more subscriptions and he collected a further $1,298.50 from one hundred and sixty-eight people. Frank Will, an architect from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, was chosen to design the new church. The new church was built on the same lot as the old church. The basement and foundations were built in the fall of 1851 and the cornerstone was laid on November 11. Construction on the church took three years. It is built of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in the Gothic Revival style.
Bishop Kemper came to Muscatine to consecrate the new church on May 25, 1854. He was assisted by the Rev. John Ufford. The building was enlarged in 1855 and the bell was placed in the cupola in 1856.
Diocese of Iowa
The Diocese of Iowa was organized by Bishop Kemper in 1853. He invited the clergy and representatives of the various congregations of the state to a meeting at Trinity Church in Muscatine on August 17. In the absence of the bishop the Rev. Alfred Louderbeck of Trinity Church in Davenport was elected the chairman. At this gathering the constitutions and canons for the new diocese were adopted, and plans were made for the election of a bishop. On October 18, 1854 Rev. Henry Washington LeeHenry Washington Lee
Henry Washington Lee was a 19th century bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served as the first Bishop of Iowa from 1854-1874...
, rector of St. Luke’s Church in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
was elected bishop at Trinity Church in Davenport.
Twentieth century
The Diocese of Iowa began participating in Education in Ministry in 1989. It is a theological extension program of the School of Theology of the University of the South. Trinity and St. Paul's Indian Mission in Sioux CitySioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
were the original centers for the people of Iowa to gather for the program.
Lightning struck the church during an early morning thunderstorm on August 9, 2010. Significant damage was done to the cupola on the front of the church and an iron cross on top.