Historic Preservation

The oldest part of Trinity Church’s present building dates to Territorial days. The first Trinity Church, our present parish hall, was built in 1890, and moved to our location in 1895. The present brick church was constructed between 1910 and 1913. Trinity was included in the National Park Service’s Historic American Buildings Survey in 1973, and is part of the Guthrie Historic District, a National Landmark since 1999.

Trinity Church was awarded a grant by the Kirkpatrick Foundation of Oklahoma City in 2012 to begin the process of historic preservation. Norman architect Mike Kertok was commissioned to prepare a Historic Structures Report, the first necessary step in any preservation work to be done on a designated historic building.

Mr. Kertok and the consultants who worked with him found a building that is essentially structurally sound, but is showing its age. The electrical systems are a particular concern—new fixtures and new wiring were added over a period of a century, without regard to the overall electrical load being imposed on the aging wiring and fuses. Brickwork is in need of tuckpointing, and plaster has deteriorated. Woodwork has faded and warped, and the leading and framing of the stained glass windows is showing its age. The building is not very accessible for the physically challenged.

The Historic Structures Report will show us the way to an eventual restoration of our building. We will have cost estimates of the work that needs to be done, and we will have expert guidance in deciding what the most immediate priorities should be. With this information, and the commitment of our congregation, we will prepare Trinity Church to take its place as a house of worship and a community landmark for another century to come.