TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
201 East Jefferson Street

1911 Gothic
Home Tour 1977 & 2001

In 1907, Grand Ledge was a village of about 3,000 with some five churches of various denominations.  On September 4, 1907, at the home of Mrs. Cassius Alexander (Elizabeth), a small band of devoted women—twelve in number—met to make a new beginning.  Mrs. Elizabeth Alexander, her mother—Mrs. Gertrude Higham—and her sister—Mrs. Cornelia Kilborn, Mrs. F.L. Berry (Katharine), Mrs. P.L. Thompson (Dorothy), Mrs. William Ireland (Myrtle), Miss Addie Lord, Mrs. Frank Whipple (Lennah), Miss Jessie Winnie, Mrs. Eldred, Mrs. Carrie Holmes, and Mrs. Elmer Edwards (Carrie) gathered for the purpose of organizing a branch of the Women’s Auxiliary to the Board of Missions of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western Michigan (Trinity Guild) with the intention of building up a church and church school in Grand Ledge.

It was thirty-two years before, on December 2, 1875 that the first Episcopal services were held in Grand Ledge under the name of St. Andrews Mission.  Services were held for a while by the Rector of Ionia—the Rev. John W. Clark—who reported five communicants for 1875 to 1876.  Later Grand Ledge was serviced by General Missionary Bencroft, who held two services in 1899 to 1890; eleven in 1890 to 1891; but fell back again to two in 1891 to 1892.

On January 13, 1895, Bishop Gillespie visited Grand Ledge confirming four, commenting that the opening for the church was remarkable.  He returned later in 1896 for a private confirmation.  Nothing permanent came into being until 1907 when the corporate beginnings were firmly established under the patronage of the most Holy Trinity.  The memory of these early pioneers is observed on St. Andrews Day.

On October 30, 1907, the Rev. Charles Donahue of St. Paul’s Church, Grand Rapids, visited the twelve women who had held that first meeting and by December 12th they were advanced enough to be visited by Bishop McCormick.  Soon there were services once a month.  Within three months of that initial meeting, Trinity Mission was a reality—on May 15, 1908 Trinity Mission was organized.  The work of the twelve was bearing rapid fruit.

The early Mission worshipped in a rented hall called Union Hall on the second story of what is now Shane’s Jewelry and Ledges Printing Company.  There was a church school of twenty-two pupils taught by Mesdames Alexander, Orcutt, and Lord.  Soon more pastoral attention and reorganization of the women’s work was needed.  The Rev. C.J. DeCoux, Archdeacon of the Diocese, contracted to spend the bulk of his time here to supply regular clerical attention and a Mrs. Wilkinson of Ionia visited the women of the Mission to help with their problems.  It was decided that it would be to the greatest benefit to the church work to separate the women’s organizations into Trinity Guild which was interested in working for the Church and the Women’s Auxiliary to meet once a month as the official organization of the communicant women of the Parish.

On Tuesday, June 25, 1911, ground was broken for the building of a church.  The land was donated by George N. Berry.  By October 31 the cornerstone was laid—the stone containing a copper box in which are sealed a copy of the first American prayer book published in 1769, photographs of the Bishop and choirs, copies of local press, and a list of communicants. 

In the January 1912 Convention of the Diocese of Western Michigan, it was voted that Trinity Mission be received into union with the Convention as a Parish as soon as its papers should satisfy the Bishop and Archdeacon.  A parish meeting was held in the Woodman Hall, May 20, 1912, for the purpose of electing the first Vestry for Trinity Parish.  The following members were elected: Edward Turnbull, Senior Warden; Cassius Alexander, Junior Warden; Lewis Campbell, Secretary; Fred Chappell, Treasurer; George N. Berry, Elmer Edwards, Lloyd Bryant, Wilfred Ashley, and Howard Thompson, Vestrymen.  Elmer Edwards was the first delegate to the Convention of the Diocese.

On September 15, 1912, Trinity’s first rector, the Rev. Lincoln R. Vercoe, arrived.  The Vercoe family lived in the house at the corner of Taylor and Lincoln and Trinity had its first full-time priest. 

In October 1912, the church building was nearly enough completed so that services could be held in the crypt.  No bee hive was ever busier—the men and women all worked.  The women bought materials and made cottas and cassocks (parts of their choir robes), they sewed quilts, made fine art goods, held bake sales, made Johnny cake for a Knights of Pythias feed, and even put on two performances of “Cherry Blossom” and “Scenes in a Union Depot” (the women of Trinity Guild worked night and day making paper cherry blossoms to provide the setting).

Easter Sundsy, March 23, 1913, found the new church building ready for use.  The day began with a sunrise service at 7 a.m. followed by a Baptismal service—five youngsters were baptized.  At the 10:30 a.m. service, the choir under the direction of Emma Fuller Jones with Mrs. Elizabeth Alexander as organist, appeared in their new robes.  The new pipe organ incidentally was the first to be installed in town.  On this first Easter evening in the new building, Father Vercoe presented a class of four young girls for confirmation by Bishop McCormick. 

The church building, having been completed and put into use, was consecrated on November 9, 1920.

Following World War I and the first uneasy years of peace, the church was closed for a while until the Rev. Albert M. Ewert arrived on October 1, 1921.  He went to Detroit in March, 1925 and when Father Adams left quite suddenly, Father Ewert returned to Grand Ledge. 

During the Depression in the thirties, Trinity Church did her share under the leadership of Father Ewert, who was appointed by Governor Frank Fitzgerald as chairman of the Red Cross Committee.

In 1931, St. Martha’s Guild was formed.  By 1932 the church was ready for a twenty-fifth anniversary celebration to commemorate the vision and energy of that little group of twelve who had finally accomplished the foundation of the Mission that was to grow into Trinity Parish.

In February, 1934, the work in Grand Ledge was taken up by the Rev. Gordon Smith, subsequently Bishop of Iowa.  He was soon followed by the Rev. Earl T. Kneebone who served from 1936 to 1940.  These were hard days for Trinity and they had to get some aid from the Diocese during that period.

In 1940, the Rev. Richard B. Townsend came here directly from school and was ordained in this church on December 21, 1940.  In 1942, Father Townsend left to take up work in Buffalo and the Rev. Louis Basso supplied for a few months in the summer.

In 1943, The Rev. Doane E. Rose came to the church on January 3rd.  Father Rose, during his stay succeeded in getting the Parish free from obligations to the Diocese, organized the council of the women of the church (which was the forerunner of the present Trinity Episcopal Churchwomen Board).  In 1946, St. Ann’s Guild was organized.  In 1948, Rev. Rose left and was followed in quick succession by the Rev. Charles E. White, who was ordained in this church (1948-1951), the Rev. Henry A. Hansen (1951), the Rev. William P.D. O’Leary (1951-1954), and then the Rev. George Taylor, OIW.  During his stay, a new platform and steps to the sacristy was built, a new set of Eucharistic vestments and a cape acquired, and a new lectern and choir frontal installed.  Mrs. James McLeod was elected as a delegate to the Women’s Auxiliary meeting with the National Convention of the Church in Honolulu and Miss Diane Wellman was elected a delegate to the YWCA convention in Paris, France.

Under the leadership of the Rev. Robert A. Martin, ground was broken on December 28, 1958, for the new educational building attached to the rear of the church.  Also, the present church bell was purchased from the Congregational Church and hung in Trinity’s belfrey.  The building of the educational wing was completed in 1959.  In addition to other accomplishments of that year, the front of the church was landscaped in memory of Grace Porter Pierce, a long-time communicant and church historian.

In 1961, the altar spotlight, sanctuary lamp, and floodlight at the rear of the church were installed.

On September 19, 1962, St. David’s, west Lansing, started as a mission under the leadership of the Rev. Edwin A. Batchelder of Trinity, Grand Ledge and on November 17, 1963 ground was broken for the new St. David’s mission.  On July 1, 1964, St. David’s Mission was dedicated.

On January 12, 1964, the new brass missal stand for Trinity was blessed. 

In 1966, the new educational building was covered with brick.

The stained glass memorial windows of Trinity Episcopal Church are believed to have been made in Chicago.  The facial features are painted, as well as the features on the hands and feet.  The windows themselves are set in a framework of Gothic design and were placed in position by a representative of the window company at the time the church was built. 

Since each window represents some event in Christ’s life, they were placed in positions to form a sort of continuity.  As one faces the Altar:
THE ANNUNCIATION—given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Zara Berry by Mr. and Mrs. George N. Berry.
THE HOLY FAMILY---given by Mrs. Higham in memory of her mother and sister.
CHRIST BLESSING THE CHILDREN—given in memory of George and Emeline Bishop by their daughter, Mrs. George N. Berry.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER—gift of Mrs. Alexander’s class of young girls

Left side, rear to front
LIGHT OF THE WORLD—by Holman Hunt—in memory of George and Catharine Brown by their son, David H. Brown.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD—given in memory of George and Sophia Campbell by their children, L.W. Campbell and Mattie O’Conner.
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL—given in memory of the rev. Luman Foote by his granddaughter, Mrs. Packard of Charlotte.
THE EMPTY TOMB—given in memory of Esther and William Capwell by Mrs. J.C. Holmes and her sister Estelle Capwell.

Above the Altar, the Rose Window
EASTER MORN—given in memory of Sidney and Mary Alexander by their son, Cassius Alexander.

In the Narthex (porch) two windows are especially attractive
THE GUARDIAN ANGEL—given by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Chappell for their infant son, Walter James Chappell.
THE CRUCIFIXION—given by the Rev. Lincoln R. Vercoe in memory of his father, the Rev. John Vercoe.

Built in 1911, the Trinity Episcopal Church is indicative of the Eclectic Gothic style of architecture which lasted from about 1890 to 1930.  During that period, classical styling of all types was used; Gothic being considered the appropriate for religious buildings.  Particular attention must be given to Ralph Adams Cram of the architectural firm of Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson of Boston, Massachussetts.  Cram was the dedicated Gothicist of the time, the sincere evangelist of the style.  In his books Church Architecture (1901), The Gothic Quest (1907), and Substance of Gothic (1916), he persuasively argued that Gothic is “the perfect union of art, philosophy, and religion.”

Trinity Episcopal Church is an idealized version of the Gothic architecture developed in northern France which spread through western Europe from the middle of the twelfth century to the early sixteenth century.  It is characterized by the converging of weights and strains at isolated points upon slender vertical piers and counterbalance buttresses and by pointed arches and vaulting.  The great advances made in the field of wood frame construction and related fields made the necessities of earlier construction simply ornamentation of the style.  Note the stylized arches of the windows and the idealized buttresses to the church nave.