Historical Churches Walking Tour (Self Guided), New Haven

The Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green is an Episcopal church near the New Haven Green Park. The church was founded in 1752 when the Episcopalians decided to have a dedicated place of worship in New Haven. Consecrated in 1816, the Trinity Episcopal Church is among the first Gothic Revival churches and was designed by architect Ithiel Town. Originally built as a small wooden structure with two Gothic tablets in the form of arches, today the church is a concrete piece with an impressive Gothic tower.

The Center Church of the Green, also known as The First Church of Christ (United Church of Christ / Congregational), is the middle church of the three located just near the New Haven Green Park. It was established in 1639. The present Georgian-style building was constructed in 1812, designed by architect Ithiel Town.

The church is famous for housing The Crypt, located in its basement, containing the identified remains of about 137 people, plus another 1,000+ of the unidentified ones, with gravestones dating back to 1687-1812, which is one of the rare colonial burial grounds preserved intact. The oldest dated stone there (1687) is that of Sarah Rutherford Trowbridge.

The church also features the beautiful Waterford crystal chandelier, Tiffany stained glass windows, and a Fisk Pipe Organ.

*** Amistad Freedom Trail ***
Back in the mid-19th century, this church congregation was actively involved in supporting the Mende African captives during the Amistad incident and were particularly instrumental in gaining support for the Africans held in the New Haven Jail.

Originally known as the North Church, the United Church on the Green is the third of the three New Haven Green Park churches. It was constructed in 1814 in a Federal style by architect David Hoadley. In 1884, it merged with Third Church to create a United Church.

The United Church on the Green features tall white columns in combination with brick walls, thus creating an impressive sight. The steeple of the church has served as a model for other church steeples in the U.S. Another prominent feature of this temple is a pipe organ.

*** Amistad Freedom Trail ***
Several members of both congregations were ardent abolitionists and played an active role in assisting New Haven’s free black community. Among them were the Reverend Samuel Dutton, Nathaniel and Simeon Jocelyn, who was one of the three founding members of the Amistad Committee formed to raise a defense for the Amistad captives, as well as Roger Sherman Baldwin, member of North Church and a New Haven attorney, who offered legal services to the Mende African captives. After the captives were freed, the Amistad Committee arranged for their return to Africa. Commemorating that event is a memorial plaque inside the church.

Initially only the First Methodist Church was built in 1849 under the Federal style design of Henry Austin. In several years, the church underwent many changes, many of its Federal style characteristics having been removed. After a fire in 1904, a steeple and a new entrance were added to the church, designed in Federal Revival style by architect Charles C. Haight. Since 1981, the First Methodist Church united with Summerfield United Methodist Church to form the present First and Summerfield United Methodist Church.

Christ Church, or Christ Church New Haven, is an Episcopal parish church in the Broadway district of New Haven. Christ Church follows an Anglo-Catholic style of worship and has a strong focus on urban ministry. The parish began as an offshoot from New Haven's Trinity Church, the central Episcopal church on New Haven's town green. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

The church building, completed in 1898, was designed by architect Henry Vaughan. It is notable for its very fine Gothic architecture, and its central location near downtown New Haven makes it something of a landmark. Its stone tower is modeled on the tower of Magdalen College, Oxford. Vaughn personally chose the artists who created the beautiful interior. Bavarian-born Johannes Kirchmayer executed the intricate wood carving, notable in particular on the rood screen. The stained glass windows (including a large window at the back of the sanctuary above the baptismal font) were created by the noted firm of C.E. Kempe in London. The high altar also features monmunental stone figures and a carved Caen stone reredos inspired by examples in Winchester Cathedral and St. Alban's in England.

The Church of St. Mary is the parish church of the second oldest Roman Catholic parish in Connecticut. The parish was established in 1832. The Knights of Columbus was founded here in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, who was then the church's assistant pastor. The church is currently run by friars of the Dominican Order. The first church was built in 1834. It burned down in 1848. The current church at 5 Hillhouse Avenue was dedicated in 1874. It was designed by the eminent architect James Murphy of Providence, Rhode Island.