This is the first of some occasional articles looking at various moments in our Trinity Congregation’s history as we observe our 95th Year. We hope these give you the opportunity to learn more about our past and to also see some of the pictorial treasures from our archives.
After nearly five years of its existence as a congregation, Trinity sensed the need to move beyond the space they were renting for worship and other church activities at the Odd Fellows Hall at 34th Street and Bunker Hill Road. Because of growth in numbers and outreach, a permanent church home would need to be found. A search was made of several available properties, and it was decided to purchase lots at the corner of 30th Street and Bunker Hill Road for the construction of a church building.
After settlement on the property, on the morning of September 18, 1936, ground was broken to commence work on the excavation on the property so building could begin quickly. A formal groundbreaking ceremony was dispensed with because of the lateness of the season. In lieu of such a ceremony, Pastor Edwin Pieplow gathered with the laborers and a few others, and after offering prayers, turned over the first spades of earth “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
A month after this, the congregation and others from neighboring Lutheran congregations gathered at the construction site on October 18, 1936 for the laying of the cornerstone for this new church building. In a worship service held outdoors, Pastor Pieplow led the 375 people in attendance in the rites which laid the foundation for the building. The Rev. F.C. Verwiebe, President of the Eastern District of the Missouri Synod, preached the sermon for the occasion. Pastors from the area also assisted in the leading of the service, including The Rev. Elmer Leonhardt (Immanuel-Alexandria, VA), The Rev. William Schiebel (Mount Olivet-Washington, DC), and The Rev. Hugo Hennig (Trinity-Washington, DC: our mother church, now First Trinity).
The following are pictures from the day’s event from Trinity’s Archives:
President Verwiebe delivers the sermon.
The gathered congregation.
The clergy make their way to the cornerstone.
(from right to left: Pastor Leonhardt, Pastor W. Schiebel, Pastor Hennig, President Verwiebe)
The cornerstone is laid by Pastor Pieplow (left) as the gathered clergy look on (at right).
This picture from after the service is labeled in the archives as, “Kibler-Inspecting Job”.
Following the service, the gathered clergy: Pastor Leonhardt, Pastor W. Schiebel, Pastor Hennig, President Verwiebe, Pastor Pieplow.
A joyous Pastor Pieplow following the service.