Trinity United Church History
Trintity was founded in 1848, when 164 liberal members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church left to form the East Methodist Episcopal Church. Among those leaders, John B. Edwards and his wife, Lydia Edwards, were involved in the Underground Railroad. The original wood-plank building was rebuilt in brick 1882. Following a tragic fire on November 22, 1900, the entire church was destroyed, though the parsonage was saved. The fire was discovered at about 4:00 a.m. and by 4:00 p.m., before the ashes were cold, the Trustees met and decided to rebuild. The congregation temporarily was hosted at the Congregational Church and St. Louis Church until the our present building at 45 East Utica was erected.
The many stained glass windows depicting important Biblical scenes, commemorate church members and frequently feature images of women and children. 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever:' this is especially true of the stained glass windows in Trinity. The Good Shepherd window, for example, was dedicated to John Edwards by popular subscription, which attests to the feeling of the people toward this outstanding leader.