Annual wreath making and ornament event
Sunday, November 26th, we gathered after worship to make wreaths and Christmas ornaments for our home bound disciples.
When in the later part of the 18th century a wave of interest and pride in building of church spires took place, the vestry of Trinity, after much discussion, decided to undertake the construction of one if the necessary funds could be raised. The cost was estimated at 1500 pounds. A subscription list was drawn up and the pastor and elders visited the people, and secured 210 liberal subscriptions. Work on the foundation began in 1785, with walls seven feet in thickness and, in places, seventeen feet in depth. By the following year, the height had reached 86 feet and the cost at this point reached an alarming 1100 pounds.
On December 1, 1791, an agreement was reached with two Philadelphia carpenters to continue with the construction. From this point, construction progressed rapidly. To help fund the remaining work, the Pennsylvania legislature was petitioned for a permit to allow the congregation to run a lottery. The lottery was a success, and the project was completed on December 8, 1794. The height is 195 feet, just 20 inches shorter than the steeple on Christ Church, Philadelphia.
No documents can be found as to who carved the original statues of the four apostles that were placed on the tower. It is assumed that they came from Philadelphia, and that they were made by a sculptor who was skilled at carving figureheads used on ships built there in the late eighteenth century. The National Park Service suggests they may be the oldest use of figureheads for an ecclesiastical purpose in this country. These statues were removed after 154 years due to wood deterioration. They were repaired with plaster, painted, and now rest in the church narthex. New wood statues were carved and placed in 1950.
Trinity has had a series of bells over the years. The present set of eight were made in Sheffield, England in 1861, and are of cast steel, perhaps the only remaining cast steel bells in this country. They are in the key of E, and weigh 7705 pounds. Fitting into this range is one bell cast in London in 1768. This bell was probably used in Trinity’s original stone church, located where our parish house now stands.
In 1927, John Lippold wrote in the booklet, “Old Trinity”:
“It stands a monument without precedent or parallel to that period in early American architecture, of transition from the necessary crude, but substantial, to the decorative and ornamental, when craftsmen vied with each other to produce the beautiful. As one generation planted its base on solid rock, firm and substantial, a succeeding generation completed its beautiful spire, and the descendants of its builders still assist to maintain and preserve it.”
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Holy Trinity is a living church with the year recognition of God’s goodness in yesteryear, the hearty expectation of God’s blessings in the present, and the confidence in God’s strength for the future.
Donate NowSunday, November 26th, we gathered after worship to make wreaths and Christmas ornaments for our home bound disciples.
Holy Trinity hosted a wonderful performance Saturday, November 18th. A great celebration that was very well attended.
Saturday, October 28th, children enjoyed a safe, indoor trick or treat event in the Parish House. Games, fun, candy and get this.....Pastor Linda as a "deviled" egg and Cliff as a milk shark.
December 10, 2023
Dr. Lee Barrett, Lancaster Theological Seminary will present on the theme - "The birth of Jesus in the visual arts"
December 10, 2023
At 4:00pm Nanga Lin will perform a concert in our chapel. Nanga is a student at Millersville University's Tell School of Music.
December 17, 2023
Holy Trinity Lutheran children will present their Christmas Program beginning at 10:45am after worship. Please plan to attend and enjoy the performance.
December 31, 2023
The theme/topic for the day - Prophets, Predictions, Potpourri and Progress.