Trinity
Episcopal Church
Upperville, Virginia
#NC-08300-WP - Notecards
#PR-08300-WP - Open Edition Print
"These
bells are dedicated to the men of this countryside who, by the
skill of their hands, have built this church." Although the
great bell bearing that dedication was cast in England, the inscription
indeed rings true. Local stonecutters, masons and carpenters created
everything except a few details. In the tradition of medieval
craftsmen, they made their own stonecutting tools at a forge on
the property and fashioned every piece of stone and wood in the
complex.
The
sandstone itself came from nearby Warrenton, Virginia. Even the
portrayal of plants carved into the pew ends are native to the
countryside. Sculptor Heinz Warneke, who served as head of the
Corcoran Gallery of Art's Department on Sculputre, also carved
the figures of great preachers on the pulpit and the symbolic
creatures on the arch columns. Ironworker Paul Fiebiger created
objects of beauty ranging from intricate chandeliers and grills
to the simplest bolts and nails of the doors. Particularly noteworthy
are the "Peace Angels" that Fiebiger incorporated into
the tower lantern. They were created in 1280 for a church near
Dresden, Germany.
The
design of architect H. Page Cross reflects the style of certain
French country churches of the twelfth and thirteenth century.
The present church is the third building on the site, the first
having been built in 1842 and the second in 1895. The windows
in the south transept came from the previous church building,
and those in the north transept were made to match.
Text
© 1998 Terry White, Drawing © 1998 Bill Harrah