The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-01-21
THE RICHEST CHURCH
IN THE WOHLD-THE GREAT ESTATE
OFTRINITY CHURCH.
How IL Has Increased In Value-Early
Grants of Land That Have Grown to
be a Good Part of New York City.


common description of Trinity.
Every business man who goes down
Broadway instinctivey figures up in men
tai calculation how much the ground en-
numbered by the two old graveyards would
net unuer the hammer. He knows thaI
they occupy the most valuable ground IN
the city of New York and that the popula-
ton OF church-soers has drittcd miles
away up town-in fact, that it is not bus
mess that all this wealth should he lying
dormant century after century Ahd II Is
not strange that his thoughts OF Trinity
should take a financial rather than a SEN
timental turn.
OF the extent of its riches, of tho annual
income from its vast estates, or ~ the eN-
penditures of it's princely revenues, Trinity
itself is silent.
How Trinity Started.
Trinity church represents the foundation
stone Of the church of England in America.
The names of its founders and vestrymcn
and promoters and communicates are the
names OF the streets Of older New york
1t is contemporaneous with the British
flag that Heated over New Amsterdam. The
very day that the Dutch flag was pulled
down and the flag of England aoated above
the battery fort the spirit of Trinity APP
pcared and gobbled up little Dutch
church near the fort. This was in 1864, but
it was a very fair beginning. The first
governor of the province, Fletcher, was an
ardent churchman. and the first thing he
did was TO give the Dutch and other inhao-
itants to understand that the conquest car
ricd with il the established church and To
push the assembly and the peop-a of New
ork for its official recognition and main
tenancc. There was considerable friction
but after several years hard fighting the
governor gained his point, and in 1896 got
a vestry. who were styled managers OF
the affairs of the church of England and
the city of New York.
The first clergyman was one. William
Vescy whose name decorates the street
lamps hard by ST. Paul He was COM
PEELED 10 30 to England for his ordination
While he was away the manager applied
to the assembly and obtained an act OF IN
corporation and when Mr.. Vesey returned
"A fun hedged priest he found Trinity par
ish in existence. with a charter of its own
and ready for business.
How Trinity Came to Own n Good
Part Of New York.
The Rev. Nesscy was indicted on Christ
mas day, 1851 being the fifth of the reign
of William and Mary. by the charter thus
obtained, approved by the governor of the
province and sanctioned by the royal seal,
Trinity was presented with certain piece
and parcel of ground in or near to a street
without the north gate Of the city of New
York commonly called and known as
Broadway" also a certain church and
steeplc." presumably the same captured
from the unfortunate Dutch. However, the
Dutch were apparently satisfied in some
particular grant of their own. The church
and steeple" thus come by was the first
Trinity church, and was formally opened
March II, 1898. For the support of the rec
Tor and the church a tax was Immediately
Laid upon the people of the parish: ~,
To rdrth put the parish of Trl bee
pbnrrb'' IT'S feet the good Queen
la 1903 made an additional grant ,cl,hr
corporation by letters patent siga tt. hi
Lord CornbuTy. then governor of ~ WY ~
ince '0f tract of land then called Nevloi
farm. lying on the west side Of q a-
island and extending from ST .ot
81 noTthWard along the riverp. Dos
YVES afterwards called *
was also known at %
a.lrm" 1t was lttl'hs' '
LAY outside the city formed az
waited But il 50 SUP - BARRED MS
grant that the church corpok. me 90
In possession Of practically al 49,.
ton OF the city lying west OF -
between the battery and Christoii MS ih Y
For many years il was One-thtrd whose D..
tire city of New York. II is throealitabI,
tract church street runs and the ,,.,4 ~,
has been built up these hundred yea IN, li
Immediately following this grant ~, -
building of a church was begun anG.u p
vision was made at the same time for Nyc
ing the parish still further to pay forySt'
Subscriptions didn't come in very fast IN
those days. The church was. therefore. a
road now Christopher street This farm
small affair. some of the money used had
beeu raised 10 liberate slaVeS-siaVeS
worked on the buildng-and commissions
on sall weifts, wrecks and drift whales
and all that sort of thing went 10 sven
the Golfers OF the managers. The corpora
ton was gathering impetus for its great
The First "Neyy' Church.
The new church was small,
square edfce that would now be
considered common in a country town, but
il was then deemed an imposing structure.
at stands" said a descriptive writer of
the day, very pleasantly upon the banks
OF Hudson's river. and has a large ceme-
terry on each side inclosed in front by a
planted paled fence. Before il is a long
walk rallied off from Broadway the pleas
ATTEST street Of any in the whole town.
As enlarged in 1877 it was about 14S feet
long, including the tower and chancel, ard
saventv-two feet broad, with a steeple 175
feet nigh" The vestrymcn were of the
most reputable citizens and distinguished
officials of the British government in the
colony. 1t ha0 already three complete sets
of communion plate bestowed upon II ny
royalty-one from William and Mary, one
from Queen Ann, the other from one OF
tha Georges People began obligingly to
die and leave it something. About this
time its original rector, Mr.. Nesey, died
also, and was succeeded by the Rev. Bar
clay, in 17i6. We know all about Barclay
by reason Of his street. which he left be-
hind him near eseys.
TrinitY'S Offspring.
In time lts congregation got too big for
Trinity and a church of ease" was pro-
jected This was erected on Beekman and
Clif streets-Messrs. Reade, Ludlow. Beck
man, Clarkson, Livingston. Murray, Cham
hers, Desbrosses and other gentlemen who
are remembered by New York streets,
being in this first real estate deal The
corporation paid fGi5 (s3 225). for SIX lots.
now probably worth more than six times
as much sngly. This chapel was Loyalty
called st. Georges, and was of cut stone
modelled upon a soap box with a cake of
soap representing the tower. 1t was burned
down and restored the following year.
4 charity school was built near Trinity in
17ls and il, too. Immediately succumbed to
fire. Trinity itself came near sharing the
same tate at the time. Public sympathy
was greatly stimulated by these misfor-
tunes, and a goodly sum of money was
raised TO repair the damages. A new char
ity school rose on Rector and GreenwEh
streets, a school afterwards converted into
the New York Protestant Episcopal school.
Ground was donated for the beginning Of
Kings college. now Columbia university,
which ground has so increased in value as
TO afford a large share of the income Oh
the institution. The arrival of Dean Berh-
ley and his close friendship for the mana
gers of Trinity, resulted in the founding OF
the famous Berkeley school, for the support
of which the land given by Trinity tur-
"a r.sif ia1..ai