Torrington, Connecticut
History
Our Parish Story
Trinity Parish was originally “perfected” and a constitution was adopted in 1843. The parish was then a mission of Christ Church, Harwinton, with its rector, The Reverend Henry Zell performing part-time duties in Torrington.
The parish grew slowly until the railroad, and with it, the Industrial Revolution, reached Torrington in 1849. Growth then sped up remarkably, with the parish boasting more than 370 members at the end of the 19th century.
The congregation has changed with the times while staying constant to the ideals of The Episcopal Church and the mission of the Parish. Trinity maintains the long tradition of living out Christ’s mission in our community.
While there have been 19 past rectors of Trinity, most recently we have been served by a Priest-in-Charge. This engaging partnership has encouraged us to adapt to the circumstances of our day. We are hopeful and participating in God’s mission in downtown Torrington and beyond.
Our Physical Home
As Torrington grew, so did Trinity. In 1898, the original wooden building was moved north on the property for use as a parish hall and was replaced by the present granite church. A parish house was added in 1909 including the upper parish hall with stage and lower hall with several Sunday school rooms and a chapel. The Rectory was constructed in 1919 and has since been remodeled to become a parish and rector's offices, other offices spaces and a living/meeting room.
Trinity’s Clock Tower dominates Torrington’s downtown cityscape and was restored in 2013 following a successful community-wide campaign. A capital campaign Reaching Up to the Roof, Out to our Neighbors was launched in 2016 expressly for the replacement of the 118-year-old slate roof and other capital needs. The roof has been replaced and other capital improvements to stained glass and other infrastructure are underway.
