Trinity parish was founded in the home of Phineas Shepherd on November 9, 1816 in Brooklyn, Ohio, though Episcopalians had been present from the time of Moses Cleveland’s arrival. The first rector was Roger Searle. Between 1820-25, the parish worshipped in Brooklyn, where many of the members lived.

As the parish grew, the congregation decided to move into a frame structure built on the corner of , St. Clair and Seneca (W. 3rd St.). Consecrated in 1829, Trinity became the first church building within the village limits of Cleveland, the same year the city’s first lighthouse was built. By 1846 the parish began to plan for a larger, more central building of Gothic design, just east of Public Square at E. 6th and Superior Avenue, which was moved into in 1855.

Trinity Parish had maintained a close relationship with the episcopate of the Diocese of Ohio since 1836, when the bishop had been invited to reside adjacent to the church. In 1890 Trinity Church was offered to Bishop William A. Leonard as a cathedral for the Diocese of Ohio. Trinity parish would maintain the cathedral and serve dual roles as a parish church and as a cathedral.

Under the leadership of Bishop Leonard, a new Gothic cathedral was conceived with Charles F. Schweinfurth, noted architect of many Cleveland churches, residences, and public buildings, commissioned for the project. Many of Cleveland’s prominent families, such as the Samuel Mather family, contributed great financial support to the new cathedral. Construction began in 1901 and Trinity Cathedral was consecrated on September 24, 1907.

In 2002, Trinity Commons was built containing meeting and program space for nonprofit, corporate and community groups throughout greater Cleveland. Trinity Commons is a community-facing event and education center for the people of Greater Cleveland offering programming that inspires, nourishes, and celebrates the sacred in all people.

Today, Trinity Cathedral has assumed the role of a medieval cathedral in a modern society. The cathedral’s location in the heart of the city enables the church to provide spiritual, social, educational, and outreach programs to serve the greater community and to serve as a cultural arts center. We are working to realize the promise of our architecture by becoming a piazza, where everyone is invited to gather, learn, pray, and be faithful stewards of God’s bounty.