Caro in Tuscola County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Trinity Episcopal Church

Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 22, 2017

1. Trinity Episcopal Church Marker

Inscription. This skillfully designed board and batten Gothic Revival church, first served local Episcopalians in 1880. The congregation had been formed in 1871, the year the town was incorporated. During the 1870s Caro grew to be a major commerce center for the Thumb Area. By the 1920s, however, church membership dropped and the building was sold to the Nazarenes. In 1974 preservationists saved the church from demolition.

Erected 1975 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L359.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.

Location. 43° 29.275′ N, 83° 23.818′ W. Marker is in Caro, Michigan, in Tuscola County. It is at the intersection of South Almer Street and Joy Street, on the left when traveling south on South Almer Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 102 Joy Street, Caro MI 48723, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Thumb.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: First Meeting of the Caro Rotary Club (within shouting distance of this marker); Caro Masonic Temple (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Presbyterian Church of Caro

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); Tuscola County Advertiser (approx. ¼ mile away); Tuscola County Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Tuscola County Courthouse (approx. ¼ mile away); Eastern White Pine (approx. 0.3 miles away); William H. Carson House (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Caro.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Tuscola County Fair (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Trinity Episcopal Church. The National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination From from 1975 states, in part:

The development of Caro's religious institutions paralleled its economic growth. In February, 1871, the Reverend Wilbur R. Tillinghast, Episcopal pastor at Midland, received a request from several Caro residents to hold services there. Reverend Tillinghast conducted Lent senvices at Caro later that month, noting that "immense crowds" attended. During the next several years he and other ministers led worshippers in Caro on an intermittent basis. This arrangement, however, was not adequate to the needs of the rapidly growing village. In 1877 the Reverend George W. Wilson of East
Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 22, 2017

2. Trinity Episcopal Church and Marker
Saginaw was appointed missionary to Bay and Tuscola Counties by the Episcopal Diocese Missionary Committee. He established Holy Trinity Mission at Caro, and within a few months raised enough money to rent temporary quarters for the congregation, a parsonage, and pay the minister's salary. In 1880 Reverend Russell Todd, newly appointed minister, urged the congregation to build its own church in order to receive full standing within the diocese. Construction began in May, 1881, and the new building was completed later that year for Christmas services. The total cost of the new Trinity Episcopal Church, including land and furnishings, was $3,000.

The congregation thrived for many years as one of the most influential churches in Tuscola County, but in the 1920s memberships and subscriptions declined drastically. In 1928 the church returned its property to the diocese and the congregation disbanded the next year. Trinity Church remained unoccupied until 1934 when it was purchased by the Nazarene Church. Founded in 1916, Caro's Nazarene congregation grew as its Episcopal church declined, reflecting the changing demography of the region. Th[e] Nazarenes used the building until 1974, when they built a new church. At that time the Village of Caro planned to demolish the old church for parking space. Preservationists, however, argued successfully that the building could easily
Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 22, 2017

3. Thumb Area Center for the Arts Sign
The Trinity Episcopal Church building is now the home of the Thumb Area Center for the Arts.
be converted into a multi-purpose community center. The project will involve only very minimal renovations to the building.

(Submitted on October 28, 2024, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 511 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 26, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.