Destination Spotlight

Trinity Church

Trinity Church, a Gothic Revival design of Richard Upjohn, turned 150 years old in 1996. During most of the 19th century, the 281-foot steeple of this Episcopal church was New York’s tallest structure. Today, it is dwarfed by the many skyscrapers that surround it on Broadway at the head of Wall Street.

Interesting Facts:

• Many legendary Americans are buried in the church’s cemetery, including Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury), William Bradford, Jr. (publisher), Robert Fulton (inventor of the steamboat), and Francis Lewis (signer of the Declaration of Independence).
• The church’s tower consists of ten bells, including three of the original eight bells dating back to 1797 and the second Trinity Church building.
• When Trinity was granted its charter from King William III in 1697, the rent set by the English crown was “one peppercorne” per year. On July 9th, 1976, when Queen Elizabeth II visited the church, she was presented with 279 peppercorns as “back rent.”

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Trinity Church