I grew up in the old Trinity Lutheran Church. I was baptized and confirmed there; was cast in way too many Christmas pageants, counted bugs on the ceiling when I was bored, and saw Dad’s casket in the front of the altar. Today’s post is a collection of stories I’ve done on the old Trinity.
When I heard that the building was being torn down just short of its 100th anniversary because it was “structurally deficient,” Brother Mark and I tried to document as much of it as possible. I put quotes around “structurally deficient” because the discovery was made just about the time a sizable donation came in that stipulated that it could only be used to build a new church.
Here’s what it looked like in the bell tower. Follow the links to see the whole story and to read the many comments.
1954 pledge drive
The church conducted a $225,000 pledge drive in 1954. This picture was used in a brochure promoting the drive. The post logged two dozen comments, so I wasn’t the only one picking out faces.
New Trinity at dusk
I was walking back to my car when I saw the new federal building and the new Trinity Lutheran church in the fading sunlight.
That’s as close as I’m ever going to get to the building. MY church was torn down and many of the things that made it special were discarded, so I have no reason to go into the new Trinity.
And, yes, I know that church is more than bricks and stained glass. That’s why you rarely see me in one.
From the tower
When Mark and I shot the bell tower, I also took pictures out the windows in all four directions. The tall white building off in the distance is the KFVS tower.
There’s an aerial of the neighborhood in this post, too.
Sanctuary and altar
The most striking part of the church was the sanctuary with its imposing altar. Jesus was hauntingly realistic.
Unfortunately, He wasn’t welcome in the new church and has, reportedly, bounced around a bit, becoming damaged in the process. I heard that He might be out at the old Hanover School.
The balcony
Our family usually headed to the balcony. I loved its majestic sweep. On the wall behind the organ was printed Psalms 26:8 – “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house and the place where Thine honor dwelleth.”
If you follow the link, you can see the inscription in the background of a photo of workers dismantling the pews and lowering them to the ground floor.
One of my readers reported the words were still visible when a bulldozer strained to pull the building down.
Lutheran Church mural
The church owned a property at the corner of Broadway and Middle with a huge blue mural painted on it: “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” There’s a plaque in the corner that is a who’s-who list of well-known Trinity donors who paid for the sign.
The building had deteriorated to the point where it had to be razed in 2011. I toured the 501 Broadway property with David Renshaw, one of the most introspective demolition men I’ve ever met.
Nothing left but bricks
When David was through, there was nothing left but debris that was quickly hauled away. A parking lot is there today.
I was given a piece of the blue cement block as a souvenir.
Keeping the lights on
I want to thank those folks who have used the yellow Donate button at the top left of the page. I appreciate your support and wish you and yours a Happy New Year.
