One of the oldest congregations in Ohio, Trinity Episcopal Church was founded in 1817 by the Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase when the state of Ohio and its capital of Columbus were newly created. As the congregation continued to grow through Civil War migration from farms into the city and increasing immigration from Europe, the current church was erected on Capitol Square in 1869. Designed by architect Gordon W. Lloyd in the Gothic Revival style, Trinity Church features lancets, finials, and a foursquare tower.  

Due to its location directly across the street from the Ohio Statehouse, Trinity takes seriously the connection between faith and politics. They host a citywide “Stations of Love & Justice” procession around the statehouse on Good Friday, and advocacy groups use their space to rally and train constituents to work with state leaders. Beginning in 2008, “In the Garden” welcomed unhoused or marginally housed people to the church garden on Sunday afternoons for a meal and fellowship. The event was a great success and quickly progressed to being a home-cooked meal served in the undercroft, the only free hot meal available in Columbus on Sunday. Trinity also hosts the city’s annual Memorial Service to remember those, name by name, who died on the streets of Columbus in the last year, and serves as a designated warming and cooling station, open when public buildings are not.   

A National Fund grant of $500,000 with $500,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will allow Trinity Episcopal Church to complete repairs to the historic building’s envelope and renovations to the parish house to improve accessibility and serve as a space for community engagement. 

Photos by Tyler Scott Photography