Background and History
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church came into being on January 1, 1948 by the merger of First, Bethany and Calvary parishes (Founded 1881, 1900, and 1921 respectively). Trinity arrived at its present building and facilities in a series of planned steps through the years 1948-1951. First came the construction of the nave and a portion of the present Parish Education wing. The latter included Jeppson Hall, Fellowship Hall and the present library – formerly a chapel – offices, and music facilities. Then came the Christian Education Building which included relocation of the choir rehearsal rooms and the addition of present facilities including the multi-purpose room. Thirdly, Christ Chapel was added and renovations made to provide the present library. All portions of the church architecture and artistic appointments are heavily influenced by Scandinavian church architecture.
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Altar and Appointments
The Altar and Reredos has a vertical dimension of 15 feet and its design is a modification of one by Tessin for the Cathedral at Kalmar, Sweden. It is of oak.
The painting of “Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane”, by Jonas Olof Grafstrom, graduate of the Royal Academy of Stockholm, 1882, was purchased by the Gethsemane Lutheran Church of Worcester in 1894. It was restored by Warren C. Englund when it was moved to Trinity.
The silver candlesticks on the altar are of Spanish origin, dating back to 1750.
The silver-plated polished processional cross was made in England by English silver-smith, John W. Bridges, one of England’s foremost designers in precious metals. It has symbols of the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The oak pulpit was made by August Eberhardt, and dates from the year 1911. The carvings of Christ and the Evangelists are said to have been done by craftsmen of Oberammergau.
The baptismal font is made from sandstone taken from the quarry that furnished the stone for the Cathedral at Lund in Sweden. It is a replica of a medieval font, dating from about 1200 A.D. in the old church of Träne, in the Province of Scania, near the city of Kristianstad.
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The Ceiling
Fine art in Trinity is everywhere, but pre-eminent are the 128 panels in the ceiling of the nave painted by the noted muralist, Mr. Arthur Covey of Torrington, Connecticut. After careful Biblical and symbolic research, Mr. Covey spent approximately a year and one-half to complete the project. The panels were painted in oils at the artist’s studios in Connecticut and Florida, shipped to Worcester and made part of the structure of the nave.
The Organ
The Trinity organ was built by Noack Organ and Company of Georgetown, Massachusetts, and dedicated in March, 1969. The uppermost division is the Great, placed so its sound can best travel into the room to support congregational singing. The Positive – located in the center, just below the Great – contains more delicate and spicy sounds, such as the Trompette-en-Chamade, a brilliant trumpet stop. The Swell division is directly below the Positiv. Its pipes are enclosed behind swinging shutters, which control the loudness of the sound reaching the listener. The Pedal division embraces the organ on both sides with its Principal 16’ of solid tin in front. The key desk has been placed a comfortable distance away from the case to allow the player to hear better and be seen by the choir. The keys are made from ebony and rosewood. The key action is the time honored mechanical (tracker) action in which there is a direct mechanical linkage from the player’s fingers to the valves that feed the pipes.