History
The History of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church
The National Historic Landmark church now known as St. Ann & the Holy Trinity was built by Brooklyn paper merchant Edgar Bartow as the Church of the Holy Trinity. Designed by Minard LaFever, the building was erected between 1844 and 1847. An important example of Gothic Revival architecture in America, the building is particularly notable for its elaborately vaulted roof and window tracery. It is considered the finest achievement of the architect’s career.
The interior features the first extensive suite of American-made figural stained glass windows, conceived and executed by William Jay Bolton between 1845 and 1848. Scenes from the Old Testament are in the clerestory (top) windows, stories from the life of Christ are at the balcony level, and a unique, horizontal Old Testament “Jesse Tree” (the ancestors of Jesus) is at the ground level. Bolton’s work here predated the work of Tiffany and LaFarge by some 40 years.
The Peabody Memorial Organ, completed in 1925, has five keyboards and 4,718 pipes. Designated a landmark instrument in its own right, the organ is the largest and most complete of the existing works of Ernest M. Skinner in the city.
The church deteriorated severely over a decade when it was closed until nearby St. Ann’s church, the oldest Episcopal parish in Brooklyn, relocated into the building and opened it as St. Ann & the Holy Trinity in 1969.
Restoration Program
The building, the windows, and the organ together make a collection of treasures unique to Brooklyn. Each is the subject of ongoing restoration. A majority of the Bolton stained glass windows has been restored. Major components of the organ are being restored in a campaign to return the instrument to its original sound and condition. The building itself has multiple restoration needs.
The most pressing current challenge is the restoration of the side-aisle roof along Montague Street—its twin on the north has been fixed. Damage from years of leaks from both roofs can be seen on the interior walls and ceiling. The parish is seeking funds to complete this restoration project and preserve it for many years of continued use by the community, worshipers, and those who find beauty and peace here.
Music Program
Gregory Eaton, the church’s Director of Music, presents a free lunchtime organ recital every Wednesday at 1:10 p.m., which attracts many members of the public who wish to hear a variety of music played on the famous landmark organ by Mr. Eaton or a guest artist.
The superb acoustics of the church make it a particularly attractive performance space for others as well. The parish has welcomed a number of community musical organizations who make St. Ann’s their home, among them One World Symphony, the Brooklyn Orchestra, The String Orchestra of Brooklyn and MaNI Chamber Music.
