Old Trinity Church
Encyclopedia
Old Trinity Church, also known as Trinity Church, Oxford, is a historic Episcopal
church founded in Oxford Township
, Pennsylvania
, which is now part of Philadelphia.
A marble stone in the wall of the church bears an inscription that Church of England
services were first held on the site in 1698 in a Quaker
meeting house
of log construction. The present building was erected in 1711 of red and black brick believed to have been brought from England.
The church was founded with the help of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The church's first pastor, the Rev. John Clubb, who served from about 1705 to 1715, and later the Rev. Robert Weyman, who served during the 1720s, were paid by the Society and shared duties between Oxford and St. David's Church in Radnor
, about 20 miles to the west.
In 1713, Queen Anne
presented several silver utensils, including a chalice, to the church.
In 1759, the pews were installed. In 1807, the flooring was completed, and the entrance was moved from the north side to the west end. In 1833, the transepts were added, and in 1839, the tower was built. In 1875, according to a design by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness
, the tower was shortened to one story, and the present corner tower and belfry were added. Minor additions were made in 1932.
Among the church's rectors were Rev. Aeneas Ross, 1742–1758, father-in-law of Betsy Ross
and brother of George Ross
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
; Dr. William Smith, 1766–1779 and 1791–1798, who went on to found, and serve as the first Provost of, the College of Philadelphia (afterward the University of Pennsylvania
); the Rev. John Henry Hobart
, 1798–1801, who became Bishop of New York
and founded Hobart College
; and Edward Young Buchanan, 1854–1882, brother of President James Buchanan
.
The church is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
church founded in Oxford Township
Oxford Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Oxford Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, which is now part of Philadelphia.
A marble stone in the wall of the church bears an inscription that Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
services were first held on the site in 1698 in a Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
meeting house
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
of log construction. The present building was erected in 1711 of red and black brick believed to have been brought from England.
The church was founded with the help of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The church's first pastor, the Rev. John Clubb, who served from about 1705 to 1715, and later the Rev. Robert Weyman, who served during the 1720s, were paid by the Society and shared duties between Oxford and St. David's Church in Radnor
Radnor, Pennsylvania
Radnor is a wealthy Main Line township. It is an unincorporated community in Radnor Township of Delaware County and Tredyffrin Township of Chester County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It lies near the communities of Villanova and St...
, about 20 miles to the west.
In 1713, Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
presented several silver utensils, including a chalice, to the church.
In 1759, the pews were installed. In 1807, the flooring was completed, and the entrance was moved from the north side to the west end. In 1833, the transepts were added, and in 1839, the tower was built. In 1875, according to a design by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness
Frank Furness
Frank Heyling Furness was an acclaimed American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his eclectic, muscular, often idiosyncratically scaled buildings, and for his influence on the Chicago architect Louis Sullivan...
, the tower was shortened to one story, and the present corner tower and belfry were added. Minor additions were made in 1932.
Among the church's rectors were Rev. Aeneas Ross, 1742–1758, father-in-law of Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross is widely credited with making the first American flag. There is, however, no credible historical evidence that the story is true.-Early life:...
and brother of George Ross
George Ross (delegate)
George Ross was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania.He was born in New Castle, Delaware, and educated at home. He studied law at his brother John's law office, the common practice in those days, and was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia...
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
; Dr. William Smith, 1766–1779 and 1791–1798, who went on to found, and serve as the first Provost of, the College of Philadelphia (afterward the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
); the Rev. John Henry Hobart
John Henry Hobart
John Henry Hobart was the third Episcopal bishop of New York .He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in Central and Western New York...
, 1798–1801, who became Bishop of New York
Episcopal Diocese of New York
The Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and...
and founded Hobart College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
; and Edward Young Buchanan, 1854–1882, brother of President James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
.
The church is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
External links
- Official website
- Listing, drawings, and photographs at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- Trinity Oxford Episcopal Churchyard at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- Listing at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
Further reading
- Historical Sketch of the Parish of Trinity Church, Oxford, Philadelphia: Read in the Church on Sunday, Aug. 2d, 1857, by Edward Young Buchanan, Trinity Church, Oxford (Philadelphia, Pa.) Published by Lindsay & Blakiston, 1857.