Trinity Episcopal Church
Baraboo WI

We are not a big church, but when you begin to add up the many ministry opportunities and ways in which we are engaging our community, you begin to see a pretty big footprint! 

Here is just a sampling: Sunday and weekday worship, weekly soup supper, Financial Peace University, high school and middle school youth groups, small group Bible studies, the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew men's ministry, healing prayer, The Navigators and InterVarsity college ministries, fall bake sale, the Mission Gatherers community action group, Heart Savers & regional CPR training, walking and cycling groups, women's ministry and fall retreat, Baraboo's Fair on the Square, children's nurture and formation on Wednesday nights, nursery, choir and music ministry, and much more. OUR MISSION

Connecting people to Jesus through worship and fellowship

OUR VISION To strengthen relationships with Jesus through worship meant to teach, heal and transform all in a welcoming historic setting.

 

http://www.trinitybaraboo.org/  

Because of our historic neighborhood building just off the downtown square, we have limited parking. There is a small parking lot off the alley behind the church with several spots reserved for people with disability. Otherwise, there is usually plenty of street parking on Sunday mornings on Oak or Sixth streets. The front entryway is ramped for people who have difficulty using stairs.  

The First 150 Years 1854 – 2004

Five years after after the “Original Constitution” of the State of Wisconsin was adopted, fourteen years before the village of Baraboo was incorporated, eighteen years before the railroad arrived in this are and twenty nine years before before the city of Baraboo was created the Rev. Hugh Miller Thompson conducted his first services in Taylor’s Hall in 1853. A year later a parish was organized under the name of St. Paul’s and Reverend Thompson served as its first rector for approximately three years. In 1867 the parish was renamed as Trinity and continued to hold services in Taylor’s Hall. About a year later a piece of property, with three buildings on it, was purchased. One building, the Guild Hall, became the first chapel.

Music has always had an important role in Christian worship. The first choir at Trinity was organized and directed by the Rev. Alonzo Hudson. He was the third rector at Trinity stated that the choir was “hard to beat.”A Mr. Joseph Hawes became the first choir director. Initially the choir was accompanied by with a melodean. The melodean was eventually replaced with a cabinet organ.

The first women’s guild was formed in 1873 as the Mite Society. Over the next ten years these women turned over $1800.00 to the church.

In 1890, the contract for the construction of the present church was let on November 12, 1890 with an estimated cost of $5000.00 to 6000.00. Groundbreaking took place on April 29, 1891 and the first services were held inthe buildin on the third Sunday of Easter on My 8, 1892.

Over the years, the women’s group under went a number of name and organizational changes, to include the Trinity Church Guild, St.Mary’s Guild (1897), The Women’s Auxiliary (1900), St. Elizabeth’ Guild (1908), Louisa M. Gowan Guild (1913)

Over time, many efforts were made to maintain and enhance the physical property of the church. In 1927 a new lighting system was installed. The organ was electrified and moved within the church in 1948. In 1949, Henry Ringling suggested that the parish purchase ten cords of stone similar to that of the current church in anticipation of the construction of a Parish Hall in the future. In 1950 the church basement was deepened and equipped to handle additional activities, notably church school and youth work. The kitchen was remodeled in 1951. In 1953 a garage was added. The Guild Hall Building Fund Campaign was approved at the 1953 Annual Meeting. The Parish Hall replaced the wooden Chapel building. It was completed and dedicated in 1957. A new pipe organ was installed in 1963. In time for the 100th parish anniversary,the existing choir room was remodeled into a badly needed Sacristy and Chapel.St. Mary’s Chapel was dedicated on December 6th, 1964.

A complete remodeling and redecoration of the church began in 1969 and was completed in 1978. These changes included a freestanding alter, ceramic tile floor and 13 stained glass windows designed and crafted in Canterbury, England by Mr. Fredrick Cole, the Director of Stained Glass for the Canterbury Cathedral. All this was accomplished in time for the 125th anniversary of Trinity.

After 20 years, the organ was replaced with tracker that made it more functional and improved its reliability.

Heat loss and age resulted in the need for a new roof in 1987 with only $14,000.00 in the roof fund. As a result, a fund raising campaign was initiated to raise $50,000.00 for the project. The campaign was successful and the project was completed in May of 1988.

Another redecoration project took place in 1990 and followed by connection of the Church and Parish Hal with a cloistered walkway in 1993.

The rectory was badly in need of repair. That along with the seemingly changing culture where priest’s wanted there own home caused the Vestry to decide to demolish the rectory in 2000. As a result, the men of the church demolished the old garage and replaced it with a needed storage facility in 2002.

The kitchen was renovated as well. This renovation included new stainless steel counter tops, new sinks,, vinyl flooring, a commercial dish washing system and the upgrading of the electrical wiring.

Since its inception, Trinity had 23 rectors during its first one hundred fifty years.

1. The Rev. Hugh Miller Thompson 1854-1857 2. The Rev. Thomas Corlett 1857-1858 3. The Rev. Alonzo J.M. Hudson 1867-1874 4. The Rev. Robert Ritchie 1874-1878 5. The Rev. W. J. Lemon 1878-1879 6. The Rev. Samuel Burritt Cowdrey 1880-1892 7. The Rev. Alfred Wilson Griffen 1893-1895 8. The Rev. Charles L. Barnes 1896-1902 9. The Rev. Marcus J. Simpson 1903-1905 10. The Rev. Albert C. Jones 1905-1907 11. The Rev. Clark A. Wilson 1908-1917 12. The Rev. L. C. Fergusen June-August 1918 13. The Rev. Robert M. Lureson 1918-1925 14. The Rev. Clark A. Wilson 1925-1927 15. The Rev. John Boden 1927-1934 16. The Rev. George F. Schiffmayer 1934-1956 17. The Rev. Richard S. Miller 1956-1961 18. The Rev. Arthur K. D. Kephart 1961-1981 19. The Rev. David L. Fine 1981-1984 20. The Rev. Bruce E. Hunt 1985-1991 21. The Rev. Allyne Smith 1991-1993 22. The Rev. Stephen C. Secaur 1993-1999 23. The Rev. Christopher R.Young 2000-2004 24. The Rev. Robert G. Bramlett 2004-2008 25. The Rev. Scott A. Seefeldt 2008-2016 26. The Rev. David M. Mowers 2017-Present