Glimpses of Trinity

The carved oak canopy above Trinity's baptismal font contains a reproduction in miniature of the cathedral bell tower.
Photo by Jennie Jones

Gaslights were used in the Cathedral until the beautiful lanterns were installed in 1938, a gift of Henry Dalton, a member of Trinity’s vestry.

Charles F. Brush, inventor of the Brush arc lamp, a founder of General Electric and the man who introduced electrical street lighting to the city of Cleveland, was a member of Trinity's Vestry. The highly-qualified Brush was asked to supervise the Cathedral's electrical installation in 1905. There's a plaque in his honor on the wall in the East Transept.

There are two Dutch mechanical action organs by Flentrop in the Cathedral: a 1976 Choir Organ of 14 stops and a 1977 Great Organ of three manuals and 39 stops at the North(?) end of the Nave.

The ornamental stone screen behind the altar, or reredos, is based on the altar screen at Winchester Cathedral in England. With Christ at the center, Trinity’s reredos includes 59 carved figures, among them King Arthur, Moses and David.

The Gallery at Trinity is located in the former Rorimer Brooks Co. decorative arts studio. Designer Louis Rorimer was an early proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement. Visit this little jewel to see the decorative ceiling and woodwork.
Photo by Jennie Jones

Sixteen bishops attended Trinity Cathedral’s consecration service on September 24, 1907. In the interest of time, only the bishops, clergy, and cathedral chapter received Communion during the lengthy service.

Trinity's vibrant needlepoint kneelers, completed in 1998, showcase the talent of 70 stitchers. Volunteers from the cathedral congregation, the Diocese of Ohio, and the wider community completed 100 kneelers under the direction of ecclesiastical designer Davie Hyman, who was assisted by a cathedral committee. The 10 original designs include: Musical Angels, Greeting Angel, Pelicans, Lions, Roosters, Dove and Cross, Fish, Symbol of the Trinity, Trinity Cathedral Flag, and the Emblem of the Diocese of Ohio.

In 1906, Trinity hired organist and choirmaster Edwin Arthur Kraft--one of 94 competitors for the job. Educated in Germany and then at Yale, Kraft served at the Cathedral under six deans and four bishops, retiring in 1959. Kraft was known for his performance of The Ride of the Valkyries. At Trinity his tour-de-force featured a loud trombone stop buried in the crypt which spoke through a grate where the new organ stairway now originates. He died in 1962, following a performance of the 'Ride' at Fairmount Presbyterian Church.