Alexandria, VA – Older than the Nation itself. Older than the ink on the Bill of Rights or the Constitution. Even older than the fateful first shot at the North Bridge in Lexington and Concord or the Boston Tea Party when 342 chests of tea were tipped into the Boston Harbor, there was the “little flock” of founders of the Trinity United Methodist Church www.trinityalexandria.org in the young Town of Alexandria, Virginia.
Imagine how early Methodists and some members of Trinity’s first congregation learned of those historic events and even earlier uprisings—such as the French Revolution of May 5, 1789—in meetings in historic buildings such as the Court House (around 1760) and the Presbyterian Meeting House (which opened in 1772) shared its rooms with the Trinity flock in 1774—while the first bricks of Trinity’s First Chapel were being laid. Records show the official Trinity UMC “founding” was Nov. 20, 1774, and on that date, they formed into a society under the pastoral care of the Methodist preacher William Duke, who later served as Professor of Ancient Languages at St. John’s College, Annapolis.
Fast forward a decade or so and Trinity’s First Meeting House at a site on Chapel Alley in Bushby’s Square, between Royal and Fairfax off Duke Street, was officially finished (with the land having been granted by a Methodist Society member William Bushby) and in 1791 became a station independent of the Fairfax circuit of meeting houses. The present-day Basilica of St. Mary marks the site.
The thriving Trinity UMC congregation grew quickly, and by 1803, a much larger Meeting House was erected and placed Trinity Church on a main thoroughfare of S. Washington Street (the present-day Hotel Heron, next door to the old George Mason Hotel), where the congregation supported two ministers and an expanding religious program, missionary societies, and charitable outreach to the community. In 1802-1804, the Great Revival hit Alexandria, raising Trinity’s population, bringing in over 300 members, according to sources. The congregation stayed at that grand location until 1941. Eventually, the cornerstone was placed for a fourth time at a new church building in the suburban location of Beverly Hills-Braddock Heights. Trinity UMC and its historic siblings—Roberts Memorial UMC and Washington Street UMC—recently celebrated a historic worship service of healing and reconciliation, which marked 250 years of Alexandria Methodism. The event was led by Trinity’s UMC Pastor Grace Han, Robert’s Memorial UMC Pastor Josette L. Franklin, and Washington Street UMC Pastor Camille Danielle Pentsil.
Trinity is pre-eminently a family church—fathers, mothers, children, aging alongside grandparents, in some cases. Among those whose families can be traced back over generations are current Trinity members Melanie Modlin, a Bible study leader, choir singer, and communication director for the 250th Anniversary Committee, and Lucelle O’Flaherty, a head usher for decades who is involved in many church activities and devotes countless hours in supporting various programs. Modlin’s parents, Phil and Roz Modlin, were also friends with the O’Flaherty family—Daniel Fairfax O’Flaherty and wife Resa, and daughters Lucelle and Susan O’Flaherty Griffith—and the grandparents Daniel and Isabel O’Flaherty, adding up to three generations at the church.
“I started (attending services) at age five,” Modlin said, and looking over to her dear, long-time friend, Lucelle, “and you started at birth.” Both recalled how members “took a leap of faith” to move the church building from its downtown location in 1942 to its current site at 2911 Cameron Mills Road. “It was like going into the woods. It was all trees.” She explained that her church has been on “the right side of history” in numerous political issues and that it is a congregation well known for significant charitable gifts to the Alexandria community through the years, including just this year a $15,000 donation to Alexandria City Public School Lunch debt forgiveness and financial support to ALIVE! Emergency Housing assistance.
O’Flaherty, whose parents were prominent members of the community, added brightly, “You build it and they will come.” She noted that Trinity remains part of many of Alexandria’s families, even as generations move away and return as older adults to its pews or for special occasions.
The 250th Anniversary Committee carefully planned events and fundraisers (such as an Anniversary Endowment Fundraiser) throughout the year that are meant to include many of those members, church dignitaries, and former pastors and friends of the congregation.
Indeed, the forward-looking Methodist spirit–along with the 1804 bricks, windows, and other materials—including the “squeaky pews” of the Second Meeting House that were carefully removed and hauled to the new church site for historic preservation and use—continue to build the legacy with strong leadership and new horizons. Currently, the Trinity Church’s “Allison-Pierpont entrance”—the main door—welcomes guests and members to a vestibule with historic relics such as a wooden door (a bronze plate states “from the William and Ann Adams Home “Church Hill, an antecedent of Trinity. The antique door was placed there by the Methodist Historical Society of Northern Virginia). One of the most handsome artifacts transferred is the striking rose window, also from the Second Meeting House building. The present location at Cameron Mills Road also hosts comfortable meeting rooms, offices, an auditorium, a kitchen, a highly-regarded childcare center, and a stately pastor’s residence, all on a shaded spacious lot with an ample parking lot across from the main entrance. A striking cornerstone reveals its proud history with all four dates of its meeting houses: 1774, 1792, 1803, and 1942.
During the November 2024 celebration weekend of the 250th Anniversary, a “Welcome Event and Hallelujah Hour at the Heron Hotel” will be held Nov. 15 on the rooftop of the Heron Hotel—the actual ground-floor site of an early Trinity UMC– along with a walking tour of nearby Chapel Alley. Other celebration events include a Dinner & Anniversary Party in the Fellowship Hall on Nov. 16 and a Jubilee Worship & Reception on Nov. 17, both at the current church location.
As part of the 250th Anniversary year celebrations, a 250th Legacy Fund Campaign is underway with the goal of increasing its endowment to $250,000 to provide resources for its mission and ministry, as well as the maintenance and repair of the church building and grounds. To purchase a brick toward the endowment’s fundraising effort visit www.fundraisingbrick.com/tumc/
ICYMI: Trinity United Methodist Church Celebrates 250 Years This Month!
