by Rachel Hunter
The Trinity Episcopal Church in Gouverneur is currently holding a Thanksgiving Box Raffle to boost its building maintenance fund. The Thanksgiving Box includes gift cards to local grocery stores and non-perishable food items to outfit a family’s Thanksgiving Dinner. Raffle tickets are now available for $2 each or three for $5. Upcoming sale locations include the following: On Friday, November 10 and November 13 (Kinney Drugs next to Price Chopper on East Main Street), November 15 (Kinney Drugs on Clinton Street), and November 17 (Save-a-Lot). Much gratitude is extended to the North Country community for their generous support this holiday season. The drawing will be held on November 19.
The Trinity Episcopal Church has had a long history in the Gouverneur community, and its origin story was detailed in the Gouverneur Sesqui-Centennial History (1805-1955), which was published in 1955 by the Gouverneur Historical Association. Did you know? In 1862, the Rev. Wilbur Paddock held the first Episcopalian religious service in Gouverneur in the Presbyterian Church. Then in 1865 the Rev. Jeddekiah Winslow came from Watertown as a traveling missionary for the North Country and held a few service. Seeing great possibilities for the establishment of a church, he was appointed missionary in charge of the interested congregation in February 1866, and held regular services in the Wesleyan seminary, a conference school of the Methodist Church. Within two months, parish organization was effected and on Easter Monday, April 16, 1866, the congregation was incorporated as Trinity Church.
The Trinity Church in Gouverneur was built in 1866, and soon after became a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany. The cornerstone was laid on September 10, 1866, and about a year later, the building was completed at a cost of $7,000 with a great deal of the labor having been donated. The basement was fitted up for a Parish School which opened in the fall of 1867 with 40 pupils. The village had limited school facilities at the time, so the school was of great benefit to the community and continued for seven years, at which time the Gouverneur Elementary School (formerly the East Side Elementary School) at the corner of Gordon Street and Barney Street was built.
On July 29, 1869, free from debt, the church was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. William Croswell Doane, the first bishop of the Diocese of Albany. The Trinity Episcopal Church is proud of its legacy with over 150 years of faithfulness. All are welcome with open arms at Trinity, whatever their status in God’s eyes. “We are His children and welcome within this His House of Worship,” the church says. One of the church’s most notable members was Rhoda Fox Graves, the first woman in the New York Senate and fought for women’s rights.
The Trinity Episcopal Church has been regularly maintained over the years. Earlier this year, the church undertook an exterior restoration project. Donors can also make special donations to Trinity Episcopal Church, PO Box 341, Gouverneur, NY 13642. All donations will be gratefully accepted. For more information, visit the church’s Facebook page.