Trinity History

The Nave

The Nave is the term applied to the interior of the church, the full area where the congregation sits. It is separated at the front steps by an area called the Chancel, where the priests, organist, and choir members sit during the service. The area immediately around the altar is called the Sanctuary, which is divided by the communion rail. This area is typically reserved for the priests, acolytes, and chalice bearers.

The nave of Trinity has undergone a number of decorations and color schemes since the church was completed in 1866. The original design is unknown. Undoubtedly the rafters were varnished in dark wood tones, and there were three stained glass windows on the sanctuary wall near and behind the altar that were later blocked off. Initially, there was no altar - only a wooden table known as the Holy Table, which was probably placed in the sanctuary area. The original pulpit design is also unknown but may have been constructed of wood. The baptismal font may date from this early period, but the brass angel on top was a later addition. The marble altar made its appearance in 1874 as a gift from Lavina (Ewing) Bond in memory of her late husband, Charles Douglass Bond. It contained five carved crosses, symbolizing the five wounds of Christ. Considered Anglo-Catholic, it was controversial in its day and reflected the growing appreciation for Anglo-Catholic theology by the rector at the time, the Rev. Colin Campbell Tate.

Between 1892 and 1893, the nave underwent a major redecoration during the rectorate of the Rev. Alexander W. Seabrease. The J. and R. Lamb Company of New York, a major supplier of church fixtures, was hired to redesign the inside, and company artists painted numerous stencils were throughout. An Alpha-Omega symbol appeared at the top of the central arch. William Rockhill Nelson, the famed editor of the Kansas City Star newspaper, donated an ornate brass pulpit in honor of his parents in 1893. A reredos was installed for the first time in this same period commemorating the service of the Rev. Joseph S. Large and given by his children. It featured a painting of Christ as the Good Shepherd set within a gilded frame.

In 1924-25, the church underwent the most significant redecoration in its history. The vestry and the rector, the Rev. Louis N. Rocca, hired the architectural firm of Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue of New York to design the church as a fifteenth century English oratory. All of the rafters were painted white, and the walls were painted in rich hues of red, blue, and gold. Large, intricately-painted crosses, were painted on the chancel ceiling, and all of the brass fixtures were "antiqued" with applique. The reredos was replaced with a new painting by Charles Telford Paullin of New York, featuring the risen Christ surrounded by angels in a Byzantine design.


A rood screen and rood cross were added in the 1920s, both of which changed dramatically the chancel's appearance. Some parishioners liked the new style while others found it overwhelming and not in keeping with the overall church design. During the 1940s and 1950s, the nave was repainted various times, toning down the Goodhue designs but still keeping the nave colorful.


In 1962, the nave was repainted again when a new reredos was installed, this one designed by Leslie Nobbs of New York City. The half dome of the chancel ceiling was painted blue, and the rafters were still painted.

During the 1970s and 1980s, two major efforts were undertaken to restore the church and repair the roof, which had begin to sag. Workmen discovered that the roof had never been properly anchored to the walls and could have collapsed at any time. During this period the rafters were stripped of paint and restored to a natural wood look. Those in the main ceiling are constructed of pine. The applique was stripped from the brass and the walls painted in more neutral colors to accentuate the stained glass windows.

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