Trinity Church
National Register of Historic Places

Trinity Church

Houston, Harris County, Texas
Listed
May 25, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83004481

About this property

Trinity Church, in Midtown Houston, Texas, is a parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Trinity was founded in 1893 as a mission from Christ Church in a part of Houston then called the "Fairground Addition", now known as Midtown. It is the second-oldest Episcopal parish in Houston. Trinity was, at one time, one of the largest parishes in the Episcopal Church. Such notables as Walter Cronkite and Denton Cooley have been members of the parish. Its membership declined sharply as its parishioners moved to the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 2000s membership has grown steadily. Five rectors of Trinity have gone on to be bishops in the Episcopal Church. Another has served as dean of a cathedral. The Reverend Hannah E. Atkins became Trinity's fifteenth rector in September 2007. In 1990, Trinity founded the Lord of the Streets Mission, a mission of the Diocese of Texas to the homeless of Houston. Although no longer under the auspices of Trinity Church, Lord of the Streets' services are held at Trinity. The current church building, which dates from 1919, is a neo-Gothic structure, designed by the noted architectural firm, Cram and Ferguson, whose Houston work also includes several buildings at Rice University and the Julia Ideson Building of Houston Public Library. The church's Morrow Chapel was renovated in 2002 and features world-class stained glass, artwork, and liturgical furnishings by such artists as Kim Clark Renteria, Kermit Oliver, Troy Woods, Shazia Sikander, and Selven O’Keef Jarmon. The church also houses a 1918 Pilcher pipe organ, which was recently restored. At Trinity, there are ministries for all ages, varied opportunities for spiritual growth, and many programs in which to reach out to others in the community. In addition, special events often take place at Trinity, including the annual Animal Blessing, in the autumn, and Jazz Festival, in the winter. There are also occasional Sunday-evening concerts and special services such as Choral Evensong and sung Compline presented by the Trinity Choir, as well as worship in the Taizé tradition. Davies-Cooley, Gayle. Pillar of faith: Trinity Church at 100, Trinity Episcopal Church, Houston. (Houston, 1992).

Location

3404 S. Main St.
Houston, Harris County, Texas
29.73974, -95.37783

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

San Jacinto Senior High School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Maria Boswell Flake Home for Old Women
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Evangelical Church
Civil War
0.1 mi
Temple Beth Israel
Industrial
0.2 mi
Houston Light Guard Armory
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Narvaez's Texas Expedition (Filibuster)
1819Early Republic
1.5 mi
Camp Logan Race Riot
1917Modern
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Trinity Church listed on the National Register?

Trinity Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 25, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Trinity Church?

Trinity Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Trinity Church?

The period of significance for Trinity Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Trinity Church?

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