Trinity Church at the foot of Wall Street was chartered by King William III
of England in 1697. When the present Trinity Church was consecrated on Ascension
Day 1846, its soaring Neo-Gothic spire, surmounted by a gilded cross, dominated
the skyline of lower Manhattan. The Mayor of New York described the church as
the "glory of our City." There have been three Trinity Church buildings at
Broadway and Wall Street. The present Trinity Church consecrated on Ascension
Day in 1846, is considered a classic example of Gothic Revival architecture and
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original burial
ground at Trinity Church, which was used by all denominations, includes the
graves and memorials of many historic figures, including Alexander Hamilton,
William Bradford, Robert Fulton, and Albert Gallatin.
The planes hit, and there was organ music in Trinity Church. When the mighty
crescendo of the first cascading trade-center tower began, the music stopped.
And after inhaling pulverized concrete and steel, Trinity’s organ, one of the
city’s largest, has not been played in the six months since. "The last thing
anyone thought was to turn off the organ," says Owen Burdick, Trinity's organist
and choirmaster.