Trinity Episcopal Church is a parish of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. The Right Rev. James Russell Kendrick serves as Bishop. The Episcopal Church is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion: churches around the world that trace their roots to the Church of England. The Church strives to live by the message of Christ, in which there are no outcasts and all are welcome.
History - Begun in 1837 and completed in 1838, the present church was built as a cut to order building in White Plains, New York. It was brought down and around the tip of Florida and assembled like a puzzle on its present site. Trinity was organized in 1836 in the then-territory of Florida, an inhospitable wilderness of swamps and forests where indigenous and enslaved people found haven, and outlaws roamed. It rose from that rough beginning to its status on the National Register of Historic Places and holds the distinction of being the sixth oldest church in Florida and the second oldest continuously serving church. Trinity is proud to be Apalachicola’s “Historic First Church”.
Trinity and its historic Erben Organ were featured on TV recently. Take a look.
The Rectory - The present Rectory was constructed in the “Queen Anne” style in 1900, after the Ladies Guild of the Vestry raised $800. George Marshall built the home of local cypress and heart pine.
The Parish Hall - Benedict Hall, located adjacent to the church, was completed in 1932. It is named in honor of the late Rev. George E. Benedict, Trinity’s Priest from 1916 to 1930. It continues to serve the needs of the congregation and the community.
The Memorial Garden - Located between the Church and the Parish Hall, the serenely beautiful Trinity Memorial Garden provides interment for the ashes of deceased parishioners, and features a mosaic fountain as a focal point for the walkway of memorial bricks honoring departed loved ones.
