Currently, the Trinity Episcopal Church is being featured at the Tyrone History Museum.
The display, detailing the church’s 120 years as a part of the community, is being featured at the museum during All Abroad Tyrone this weekend.
Tyrone Area Historical Society President Nancy Smith said the display will be available for viewing for much of the fall months. She said the display is one in a series that have featured the town’s historical churches.
The reason the church was chosen to be featured this weekend involves an unique feature of the church. Its interior is made of all wood. Church builders used wood from railroad cars.
The display at the History Museum at Railroad Park features a timeline of the church, an old bible, a church register, correspondence and other historical documents.
According to a history of the church that was published in The Daily Herald in 1985 (the church’s 100th anniversary year), “late in 1884 or early 1885, a little group of Episcopalians met at the home of Henry Sholly (a superintendent of the old Tyrone Forge, at the time a key business in the Tyrone area) to discuss the possibility of forming an Episcopal congregation in Tyrone.
According to information provided in 1985 by diocese historian Canon Wolfgang, that meeting and another led to a Sunday evening prayer service and the formation of a congregation. Members met under the title of Trinity Mission in building at the corner Logan Avenue and 14th Street. The building housed the YMCA at the time.
Around 1890, members purchased a lot located on Washington Avenue near Ninth Street in the hopes of erecting a church. The church became a reality when Pennsylvania Railroad officials and Richard Beaston, a paper mill purchasing agent, were able to obtain materials at a greatly reduced cost. They also were able to provide labor to build the church. The church opened its doors on March 15, 1895.
Clerical leadership was provided by the Rev. John Lewis followed by the Rev. R.S. MacIntire. Mrs. Beaston was the church organist.
The display at the museum was put together by Cheryl Weyandt with the assistance of Dolly Swiderski and church Rector Jean Jacobsen. Weyandt did much of the leg work for the display including putting together the timeline.
In addition to the display at the Tyrone History Museum, the church will hold an open house this Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 830 Washington Avenue.
