The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-04
Completion oC Trinity Church-imc
rcSt;u. History Of the Work.

TRINITY cnurcn. which II Sllu'lcu "1 'n1
corner Of Twentieth and Broad streets. Is
now rapidly approaching completion. Inc
carpenter's work on the steeple is done, and
soon the painters brush will give the finish
inc touch TO a work commenced fourteen
years ago.
On the 29th of December, 1859, the trus-
tees of the church, through their building
committee, entered into al agreement with
Albert /. West, architect, for making the
drawings and experimenting the erection
of their church editce, the Rev. John
d. Blackwell then being the pastor; ana
shortly thereafter contracts were closed with
Joseph G. Watts for the brickwork, Joseph
A. Williams L. Co. for the stonework, W. l..
& u. A: NlcMinn for the carpenters work,
p, III. Russell for the plastcring, and
Isaac Schriver for the painting. The
work progressed until the surrender
Of Fort Sumter, on the 14th of April,
1861: after which. arrangements were
made to discontinue the work as soon as the
building should be rooted in and the base
mcnt be made ready for worship. Accord
inolv, early in the summer the ROOF was put
on. and the basement being piastcrcd ana
frcScord. it was formally opened for Glvlnc
worship. About this time the architect Was
promoted to the rank of captain ana quar-
tcrmastcr in one of the local regiments, ana
in September received the appointment OF
architect in the Ordinance Department OF the
Confederate states Government, and' was
ordered to Augusta, Ga, where he remained
during the war. Eothin" was done to the
building until after the close o. the war.
At the beginning of the year 1866 II was
determined to make an effort to complete
the building. and accordingly the faithful
and energetic pastor, Rev. j. Il. EDWARDS
(now ID. d., commenced the difficult task OF
raising tie necessary funds, III which lie SO
| far succeeded rs to enable the building COM
Mite to put under contract all the WORK
eycept the stccple, the contractors IN THIS
case being Liggon u Newell. carpenters
| =. III. Russell, Erench Il Bosher, plaster
| ers: and Isaac Schrircr, painter 1he con-
| tracts being completed, the church edllce
was on the 10th day of September, lSG6,
dcdiclted to the service Of Almighty Goa.
Thus the building stood until the COM
mcncenent of the present year, WIcn the
architect, ardently desiring to see the con.
summation of his work, prepared beautiful
| drawing, showing the stceple somewhat
changed in its details from his first design.
and presented it to the building committee,
who at once resolved to make an earnest
effort to build the stccple, and thus con-
| summatc their long and fondly-cheriShed OBJ
| ject. Accordingly their able and popular
pastor, Rev. \. c. Blcdsoe, and several active
members Of the church proceeded to raise
| the necessary funds which being done, they
entered into contract with Mr.. Joseph NJ
| Newell for the completion Of the stccple, and
| his work is now nearly done.
| Through fourteen long and most eventfu
years the building committee and members
of this church have toiled under circum.
! stances peculiarly trying until at last theil
efforts have been crowned with success.
! The architects task was exceedingly diff
cult. 1t is no easy matter to design anc
make the detail drawings for such an edlfce
and to superintend the erection OF the Wori
even when the work is completed without
intermission, but a work prosecuted partly
during the excitement of the beginning OF
most gigantic war, then suspended tor hVe
Years, then pushed forward another step
then suspended for seven years, then re
sumed again and completed, is attended WIN
difficulties almost insurmOuntable. A de
scription OF the building is not proposed
now. We will simply say that it is in the
Italian style; that the steeple, which Is o.
wood, with iron final, with copper point
| tlppeQ Will plallHii, icacueS tHe Ao'Su' VI
nearly two hundred feet above the curb
stone at the corner of the street. There are
many beautifuland some novel features in the
details of the building. The whole work has
| been executed in most faithful manner,
| and there is not in the city more substan-
| tial building or one more free from detects
| of every kind. One fact connected with the
building of this church is worthy of men
tiop-it is this. that during the progress OF
the entire work not one solitary accident OF
a serious nature has occurred. One of the
members of the first building committee
(Mr c. Crew and two OF the former CON
tractors (Mr. William Liggon and Dir. Isaac
Schriyer) have died. Altothers connected
with it still survive to see the consumnlation
of their work, which has been prosecuted
through so many trying and eventful years