User:Chrism7

This is a user page for me, chrism7. I will soon (hopefully) begin an article about Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City, MO, the Episcopal cathedral of the Diocese of West Missouri.

Here goes. This is preliminary. It will be fleshed out with citations over time. The Cathedral website is http://www.ghtc-kc.org.

General: Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral is the Cathedral Church of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri. It is located at 13th and Broadway in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

(Chris, my revisions begin here. Randal.)

History: Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral was consecrated as the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of West Missouri on October 29, 1935. The congregation evolved from two earlier parish churches: Grace Church, founded on July 20, 1870, as St. Paul’s Church and renamed Grace Church on April 14, 1873, and Trinity Church, founded on April 23, 1883. Trinity Church was located at the southeast corner of the intersection of 10th Street and Tracy Avenue, on the east side of downtown Kansas City. On November 29, 1917, the two merged parished merged at the direction of the Second Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri, Sidney Catlin Partridge (1857-1930). The Reverend Robert Nelson Horatio Spencer (1877-1961), who had been the Rector of Trinity Church beginning in 1909, was installed as the Rector of the merged parish on January 20, 1918. Mr. Spencer was elected Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri on May 13, 1930, and was consecrated the Third Bishop on October 28, 1930, after the death of Bishop Partridge on June 22, 1930.

The earliest Cathedral buildings were built as Grace Church, beginning in 1888. Grace Church had built its first permanent building, a wooden structure on the southeast corner of the intersection of Tenth and Central Streets, in 1874. It was completed by Christmas that year. While additions to that building were made in 1881 and 1888, the congregation had purchased land at 415 West Thirteenth Street in 1887, on which to construct a larger, stone structure.

The first building constructed at the new site was Guild Hall, now known as the Parish Hall, and it was begun in May of 1888. The architects for that building were the brothers Adriance Van Brunt (1836-1913) and John Van Brunt (1854-1924). (Van Brunt Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, was named to honor Adriance Van Brunt for his service in developing the Park and Boulevard System in Kansas City.) Guild Hall was completed in March of 1890, and the Primary Convention for the Diocese of West Missouri was held there on June 3 and 4, 1890.

The foundation of the Nave of Grace Church was laid at the same time as the foundation for Guild Hall, but Cameron Mann (1851-1932), Fifth Rector of Grace Church from January of 1881, delayed construction on that building. He felt a change was necessary in the design of the worship space, and dismissed the Van Brunt brothers as architects. He took a three-month trip to England and studied the English Cathedrals. When he returned in September of 1892, Dr. Mann suggested that the Vestry hire Frederick Elmer Hill (1857-1929) as the new architect for the Nave of Grace Church. Mr. Hill was a New York City architect from the firm of McKim, Mead and White, and came to Kansas City in 1885 to oversee the construction of his design for the New York Life Building, located on the north side of Ninth Street at the intersection of Baltimore Avenue, considered to be the first skyscraper in Kansas City. It also was the first building in Kansas City to have elevators.

The architectural style employed for the Nave was termed as "Transitional Norman Gothic" by Mr. Hill. Construction on the Nave of Grace Church began in 1893, and the interior was completed in December of 1894. The first worship service was held in it on December 16, 1894. The tile roof was placed on the building in the spring of 1895. Nothing further was constructed until the Tower of the Cathedral was built beginning in 1937 with completion in May of 1938. The Nave was consecrated on May 15, 1898.

(Chris, my revisions end here -- I will pick up later. Randal)

In 1988 extensive repairs and renovations were completed, resulting, in part, from a collapse of a section of the north wall in January 1986. In the renovation of the chancel, liturgical emphasis was places on the Liturgies of Baptism, the Eucharist and the Word.

Grace and Holy Trinity is both a parish and cathedral church, and as such seeks to serve the spiritual needs of the congregation, diocese and the greater community.

More information is available in Ferne Malcolm Welles' book A Cathedral for the West Side, which is available in the Cathedral Bookstore.

Here are some important dates in Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral history: (Chris, I have updated these. Randal) July 20, 1870 - The Parish of St. Paul's Church is founded and the first vestry is elected

1873 - The name of the Parish is officially changed to Grace Church

1874 – The first Grace Church building is constructed, a wooden structure at 10th and Central Streets

1888 - Construction begins on Guild Hall at 415 West 13th Street

1890 - Construction of Guild Hall is completed in March; Primary convention of Diocese of West Missouri held in June

1893 - Construction of the Nave of Grace Church is begun

1894 - Interior of the Nave completed in December; first service held on December 16

1898 – Grace Church (our present Cathedral) is consecrated on May 15

1917 – Grace and Trinity Churches are merged November 29

1922 – The first Baby Wellness Clinic in the world is established through the women of Grace and Holy Trinity Church

1929 – The east end of the church is heavily damaged by a fire which began in the motor of the organ bellows

1935 – Grace and Holy Trinity is consecrated as the Diocesan Cathedral on October 29

1935 - Land west of Guild Hall is purchased and donated by Victor Speas (1888-1970)

1936 – Henry DeLancy Ashley (1856-1938) begins fund to complete the Tower and directs completion by architect William Drewin Wright(1882-1947)

1938 - Tower is completed in May; chimes installed in Tower and dedicated in April

1947 - Property east of the Cathedral is purchased and donated by David T. Beals (1889-1963) and W. Capen Shank (1889-1967)

1951 – Most of the property on the north side of 13th Street are acquired

1954 – Haden Hall is built for education

1968 - Last parcel in the northeast corner of the current Cathedral property is acquired

1974 – The Covenant with the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is signed

1976 - The property in the southwest corner of the current Cathedral property is acquired from the Kansas City School District

1978 – Construction of the Diocesan Center, designed by Stephen N. Abend (b. 1939), is begun

1980 - Construction of the Diocesan Center is completed

1980 - The Gallery to hold the new organ, also designed by Stephen N. Abend, is constructed in the Nave of the Cathedral

1981 – The Gabriel Kney Organ is installed; the Kansas City Community Kitchen is established

1983 – The southeast corner of the current Cathedral property is purchased by William T. Kemper, Jr. (1902-1989), and donated to the Cathedral

1986 – A portion of the north wall of the Cathedral falls

1987 – The Cathedral walls are restored

1988 - Renovations continue in the Nave under the direction of Howard Buckner Trevillian, Jr. (1920-1993)

1989 - Chapel of the Risen Lord, designed by Howard Trevillian, is completed; furnishings and cross installed and dedicated in December

1990 - New main altar, designed by Trevillian, is installed and dedicated

1991 - New Reredos, designed by Trevillian, is installed and dedicated

1993 - New framework for carving of The Last Supper, designed by Trevillian, is installed and dedicated

1997 - Construction begins on Founders' Hall, designed by Robert Taylor (b. 1957) and Patricia MacDougall (b. 1958)

1999 – Founders’ Hall is completed and dedicated in April

2004 - The organ is renovated (more information)

2006 - North patio of Haden Hall is converted to a fenced children's playground

(Chris, my updates end here. Randal)

Deans: The Dean of the Cathedral is Peter J. DeVeau.

The Very. Rev. Terry White. Dean White was (installed?) in April 2004(?).

Previous Deans: - Dennis J.J. Schmidt - J. Earl Cavanaugh etc.

External Links: - Cathedral website

- Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri

- National Episcopal Church website