Trinity Church stands on a hilltop at the junction of Broadway and Wall Street. Today its spire is dwarfed by skyscrapers, but in the early 1800s, the church’s 200-foot spire dominated the landscape.
Trinity Church dates all the way back to 1697 when King William III granted a charter to the church. The charter serves as the incorporation document for the church and states that the church must pay “one peppercorn” a year to the crown
Three churches have stood on the spot. This structure is actually the third Trinity Church to exist. The first church burned down in the Great New York City Fire of 1776, the second was demolished in 1839 after snowfall caused structural problems, and this current structure was consecrated in 1846.
Some interesting facts which I find during my visit & research:
1) Trinity Church was once the tallest building in New York City. when it was completed in 1846, Trinity Church held the title of tallest building in the United States for 23 years, until it was surpassed in 1869. However, it remained the tallest building in New York City all the way up until 1890,
2) When Trinity was granted its charter from King William III in 1697, the rent set by the English crown was “one peppercorne” per year. On July 9th, 1976, when Queen Elizabeth II visited the church, she was presented with 279 peppercorns as “back rent.”