Church of the Holy Trinity collection
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Abstract
Brooklyn's Church of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1840. After more than a century of serving as one of Brooklyn's most esteemed Episcopalian institutions, the Church was closed in 1957 over a controversy involving the supposed communist activities of its assistant rector, William Howard Melish. The Church of the Holy Trinity collection spans the period 1851 to 1959 and contains materials relating to the Church's administration, activities, and history. A small portion of the collection also pertains to the Melish controversy of the 1950s. Items include yearbooks, proceedings, issues of the Church's newsletter, and additional ephemeral literature.
Historical Note
Brooklyn's Church of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1840. Its distinct Gothic Revival building, designed by noted church architect Minard LeFevre, opened for worship in 1847 at the corner of Montague and Clinton Streets in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Over the course of the next century, the Church was regarded as one of Brooklyn's esteemed Episcopalian institutions. However, in the late 1940s, controversy erupted surrounding the Church's Head Rector, John Howard Melish, and his son, Assistant Rector William Howard Melish. The controversy began when, in light of the onset of increased political tensions between the United States and the communist Soviet Union, members of the Church vestry became suspicious of William Howard Melish's supposed involvement in communist activities. The vestry urged John Howard Melish to dismiss his son as Assistant Rector, and when the elder Melish refused, the vestry attempted to remove them both. The conflict escalated over the next decade and was even taken to the New York State Supreme Court. It ended with the closing of the Church in 1957 by order of the Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Long Island. After the Church's closing, its building remained vacant for over a decade until 1969, when it was purchased by the congregation of St. Ann's Church, the oldest Episcopalian parish in Brooklyn. Upon reopening the building, St. Ann's renamed itself as St. Ann's and the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, and as of 2010, St. Ann's and the Holy Trinity continues to serve the Brooklyn community at this location.
Sources:
- Brooklyn Historical Society. "Collection Highlights." Accessed November 12, 2010. http://brooklynhistory.org/library/collection_melish.html
- National Park Service. "Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State." Accessed November 12, 2010. http://www.nps.gov/nhl/designations/Lists/NY01.pdf
- St. Ann's and the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. "Our Building." Accessed November 12, 2010. http://saintannandtheholytrinity.org/history.html
Scope and Contents
The Church of the Holy Trinity collection spans the period 1851 to 1959 and contains materials relating to the Church's administration, activities, and history. A small portion of the collection also pertains to the Melish controversy of the 1950s. Items include yearbooks, proceedings, booklets, a scrapbook, issues of the Church's news bulletin, and additional ephemera.
Yearbooks span 1902 to 1914 and include historical data, lists of Church staff, annual reports, listings and statements of various committees and organizations within the Church, and member lists. An annual report of the Church's Men's and Women's Guilds from 1895 is also included. Proceedings are those of the philanthropic Benevolent Association of the Church of the Holy Trinity for the period 1851 to 1857, and include annual reports, constitutions and bylaws, and officer lists.
Booklets contain a series of sermons delivered in the Church during the year 1913, and a prospectus on the Church's School of Religious Education from 1914. The scrapbook, compiled by former parish secretary Kate C. Stroud, contains a significant amount of clippings from various newspapers documenting the Church's history during the first two decades of the 20th century.
Issues of the Church's official newsletter, titled The Parish News, span the periods 1896 to 1933 and 1944 to 1955, with various gaps. Issues dating from 1896 to 1904 are compiled in two bound volumes, while all other issues are included as loose publications.
Additional items include programs, bulletins, invitations, pamphlets, and posters spanning 1855 to 1959, with the majority stemming from the 1950s. These items relate to worship services and educational programs, gatherings and celebrations, the architectural and religious significance of the Church's revered stained glass windows, and the Melish controversy. Most items pertaining to the Melish conflict reflect the parish's support of John Howard and William Howard Melish during the dispute, while other items, such as copies of legal papers from the New York State Supreme Court trial in which the conflict was argued, reveal the extent to which the controversy affected the national Episcopalian community.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Church of the Holy Trinity collection, 1986.025, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Portions of this collection were the gift of the Church of the Holy Trinity, date unknown, and William Howard Melish, 1985. Sources and dates of acquisition for remaining items in the collection are unknown. The collection was formally accessioned in 1986.
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Processing Information
Minimally processed the collection level.
