Trinity Episcopal Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Trinity Episcopal Church in Bonham, Fannin County. Episcopal missionary work found its way into Fannin and the surrounding counties in the mid-1870s, and by 1877, Trinity Church had been organized in Bonham as a mission. In those early days, there was no building to speak of.

Services moved through the homes of church members, and for a few years the congregation borrowed space inside the First Baptist Church building. That's where the story was living, in borrowed rooms and front parlors, while something more permanent was being figured out. Then in 1882, the Reverend T.

B. Lawson deeded land to the church, giving Trinity a place to put down roots. Construction began, and here's the part worth sitting with for a moment.

While that frame building was going up, the congregation didn't wait. They gathered anyway, seated on rough planks, worshipping at a crude board nailed to a strip of wood that served as the altar. No finery, no ceremony of comfort.

Just faith and splinters. The frame church building was completed in 1883, and two years later, in 1885, Trinity Episcopal Church was granted full parish status. A rectory followed in 1886, with some of its rooms put to use as a school.

In the early 1900s, gifts from church members brought something finer into that modest building: a handpainted memorial altar and a marble baptismal font. For many years after that, Trinity carried on without the benefit of a full-time resident priest, with priests from area churches coming in to conduct Sunday services. The church was returned to mission status somewhere along the way.

And then came 1961. A fire destroyed the historic church structure. Everything those rough planks and that board altar had eventually grown into, gone.

But Bonham wasn't finished. A new cedar-sheathed church building, reminiscent of the original structure, was completed in 1962. Trinity Episcopal is one of the twelve founding churches of the Diocese of Dallas, and by the time that marker was telling this story, it had served the area for over a hundred years.

Started on rough planks. Still standing.

What the marker says

Episcopal missionary work began in Fannin and surrounding counties in the mid-1870s, and Trinity Church was organized in Bonham as a mission in 1877. Services were held in the homes of church members, and in the First Baptist Church building for a few years. The Reverend T. B. Lawson deeded land in 1882 to the church for the site of a church building. During construction, the congregation were seated on rough planks. A crude board nailed on a strip of wood served as the altar. The frame church building was completed in 1883. Full parish status was granted to Trinity Episcopal Church in 1885. A rectory was added in 1886, with some rooms used as a school. Gifts in the early 1900s from church members included a handpainted memorial altar and a marble baptismal font. For many years the church continued without the benefit of a full-time resident priest, with priests from area churches conducting Sunday services. The church was returned to mission status. A fire in 1961 destroyed the historic church structure. A new cedar-sheathed church building reminiscent of the original structure was completed in 1962. One of the twelve founding churches of the Diocese of Dallas, the church has served the area for over 100 years.