Trinity Church

The Trinity Church is a historic and iconic piece of Manhattan history and culture. While still in use today for religious services, the Trinity Church is one of the oldest standing buildings in New York City. Its spire made it, for some time, the tallest building in all of the United States. The beautiful church is a great example of Neo-Gothic Architecture and design. The architect of the current Trinity Church, Richard Upjohn, modeled the building after 14th century churches in England.

There have been a total of 3 Trinity Churches on the same plot of land in downtown Manhattan. The first Trinity Church was built in 1698, and it burned down in the Great New York City Fire of 1776, which destroyed over 400 buildings. It’s sister church, St Paul’s Chapel, was spared by the help of a community bucket brigade that carried water from the Hudson; almost 5 blocks away. The second iteration of the Church was built from 1788 to 1790. In 1839, it was torn down as a harsh winter weakened the structural integrity.

The third, most current Trinity Church was finished in the year 1846. It’s beautiful stone spire and gilded cross towering over New York, and defining the skyline. The tower houses 23 bells, the heaviest weighing 1,225 kilograms. The building was used as a place of refuge during the 9/11 attacks, as people huddled together inside to escape the clouds of dust and debris.

Trinity Church houses its own museum showing it’s rich history; as well as religious and cultural art pieces from throughout the centuries.

Trinity Church is just one of our stops on our World Trade Center Tours. When you visit New York City, see it with our experienced tour guides. We will make sure your group experiences all the fun and excitement that New York City has to offer. With City Tales Tours, you can see the sights and sounds of the Big Apple, the way you were meant to see them.