Trinity Parish History

In the summer of 1884 Mrs. Edward Eyre decided that Menlo Park, the Summer home for many wealthy families, (known to the townspeople as “Gold-plated Nabobs”) was in need of an Episcopal church. Presbyterians and Roman Catholics had convenient churches nearby but her family didn’t care to use up their entire Sunday going by carriage to St. Peter’s in Redwood City.

Rev. William Stowe, first Rector of Holy Trinity

She and Colonel Eyre, a hero of the Civil War, together with Leland and Jane Stanford, interested other families in their plan and in July of 1884 the Rev. William Stowe began holding morning services in the school, thus beginning the church we know today.

Reverends Schooler, Heard and Ross join Bishop Swing in proudly displaying the Trinity charter

It was called Holy Trinity, as our Certificate of Consecration attests. The certificate is dated September 26, 1886, was signed by Bishop William Kip, the first Bishop of California, and marked with his seal. On being reframed and hung in the church, the charter was blessed by his successor, Bishop William Swing on January 4, 2004. It is among our oldest possessions.

Leland Stanford

The young parish grew along with the towns of the peninsula. Trinity parishioners were on hand when the church’s Junior Warden, Senator (and former-Governor) Leland Stanford, broke ground on the university he was founding down the road in Palo Alto.

(In addition to participating in the founding of our parish and Stanford University, Leland Stanford founded the Central Pacific railroad and actually drove the "golden spike" that completed the nation's first transcontinental railroad.)

Charles Felton	George Loomis

That first, "gold plated" vestry also included oil industry pioneers Charles Felton and George Loomis. Felton served in Congress and the U.S. Senate. Loomis was the first president of Standard Oil of California (now Chevron.) Also serving were lumber executive William Adams, grandfather of famed photographer Ansel Adams (Ansel's Aunt Sarah served as organist at Trinity) and Edward Hopkins, a nephew of railroad tycoon Mark Hopkins. Alas, none of these illustrious vestry members were noted for regular church attendance, prefering to let their wives and children represent them at "Mary Eyre's pet project."

Parish legend has that the men of the early vestry would habitually dedicate the last, and often substantial, pot from their Saturday night poker game to the little church. An envelope full of cash, signed "J.P" (as in, "Jack Pot") would appear in the collection plate the following morning.

Holy Trinity in 1886

The little church overcame its “summer community” status and experienced several moves, building campaigns and periodic lean times. The original church building was built in 1886 on Encinal Avenue but was moved to Oak Grove and Laurel in 1897. In the midst of that move the church building was still on wheels in the midst of Laurel Avenue on Sunday, so the enterprising congregation laid sturdy planks up to the door and held services right there, firmly establishing Trinity as a “Via Media” church! (An inside joke for Anglicans.)

The 1938 move

In 1938, when the church was moved a third time to Pine Street, Rector Charles Fritz appealed for pledge envelopes, saying that “unless a parish is willing to help the outreach program of the diocese and the national church, it could not prosper”. Rummage sales began in support, and in 1947 there were 184 pledges totaling $9,830 toward a budget of $11,235. Communicants increased from 292 to 342 with total attendance that year of 10,494 and 174 children in Sunday School.

(The original Trinty church building is still serving God, now in its fourth location, housing a Russian Orthodox congregation on Crane St.)

Edward L. Eyre, first mayor of Atherton and Trinity Vestryman

In the summer of 1947 the Family Service was introduced to help with the overcrowding and plans were being made for a new parish house (that was also the year that “coffee hour” was introduced. How did they manage before then?) It quickly became apparent that a new church would be needed as well. Architects H. Kingsford Jones and William Simerell, both members of the parish, drew up estimates with the result that groundbreaking took place in October of 1949 and our church as we know it today was dedicated on Dec. 22, 1950.

In 1951 the Parish was able to acquire a venerable, 1881 pipe organ from St. Mary's Roman Catholic church in Stockton California. The organ, originally built by Felix Schoenstein, was dismantled, shipped to Menlo Park and carefully reassembled and "revoiced" by Trinity parishioner and organ builder, Charlie Fisk, aided by a team of volunteer assistants. (Fisk would later build the remarkable organ that carries his name in the Memorial Chapel at Stanford University.)

Bishop John (Jack) Wyatt

In 1957 Fr. John Wyatt began his ten years as rector of Holy Trinity. To help with communication in the now widely scattered parish he began a monthly newsletter and “Evenings with the Rector”, held in parishioners’ homes for fellowship and discussion. Groups were formed for young adults and women and, perhaps predictably, the church was once more too small for all the activities taking place. The solution was unique; the parish was extended to include a new church and congregation, St. Bede’s on Sand Hill Road.

Trinity Parish had one rector but two pastors until the seventies, when St. Bede’s became a parish in its own right. An outgrowth of that arrangement, Trinity and St. Bede’s share Trinity School, founded in 1962 as part of Trinity Parish and still housed at both locations. Fr. Wyatt left to become Bishop of Spokane, Washington, but after his retirement became once again part of this parish.

Today Trinity Parish is home, not only to church activities but to many outside ministries as well, including Sunday meals for those in need, and meeting places for Boy Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous and music organizations to name a few. The Child and Family Institute was established in 1986, and the Family Worship Service, ministry to seniors at the Glenwood Retirement Center, the Casserole Brigade (now Manna Ministries) and the Prayer Chain began in 1995. Third Sunday suppers started in 1998 and the OWLS (Older Wiser Laity in Service) in 2000.

Once again, Trinity had outgrown its space and ROOM FOR THE JOURNEY, the most recent capital campaign, was formed that same year. The project involved a new roof for the church, an entirely new and much larger Angus Hall, a new chapel, expansion and renovation of the kitchen and hospitality center and a significant seeding of a 5% contribution to community outreach. The Trinity Hall renovation was completed in 2003 and the new Angus hall and Chapel dedicated in Sept. 2005.

In September of 1967, Fr. John Burns, then pastor of St. Bede’s, said, “The Christian is always at a crossroad—always called to look in two directions. There must be many wondering, ‘where do we go from here?’ The only Christian answer is ‘forward’. Let us then fix our eyes on the future as we press toward the mark of our high calling. Let us in quietness and in confidence seek the guidance of God the Holy Spirit as we seek for today and tomorrow to fulfill the purposes for which God has placed this parish in this place.”