From the Mississippi Department of Archives and History website, the nomination form for The Church of the Holy Trinity to the US National Register of Historic Places: (
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"In sharp contrast to the lusty growth of the 1840s and 1850s, the economic stagnation of Reconstruction Mississippi .almost precluded the building of large, sophisticated structures designed to be current with the nation's architectural tastes. A rare exception, however, was the Church of the Holy Trinity, begun in 1870 by a newly formed Episcopal parish in Vicksburg. Indeed, when it was completed in 1894, Holy Trinity was considered the finest ecclesiastical building in Mississippi, and it is significant today as the most outstanding example of the Romanesque Revival style in the state. In addition to its important contribution to the architectural history of Mississippi, the church is significant in the diocesan history because of the unprecedented events of the Estornelle affair which occurred there during the late 1930s.
On September 29, 1869, sixty Vicksburg residents petitioned the Right Reverend William M. Green, bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi, for the creation of a new parish in the south part of the city, to be named Holy Trinity. Consent was quickly given, and services began shortly thereafter at a local academy.
Recognizing the Greek and Gothic traditions as "old fashioned," the senior wardens of Holy Trinity selected for their permanent place of worship the Romanesque Revival style, which they called "Norman." Within a year the vestry had received the final design for their magnificent building from Edward C. Jones, an architect active in Charleston, South Carolina, c. 1848-1861 (Ravenal, p. 203), but at this time established in Memphis, Tennessee. So novel and unfamiliar was the Romanesque style, that the Vicksburg Times and Republican of October 27, 1870, admitted the necessity of educating the public in "matters of taste" and carried a lavish and complimentary design critique. The cornerstone was laid on October 31, 1870, and by early 1871 the rector, W. W. Lord, was able to make the following report: The foundations of a noble church edifice (128 feet length, 75 feet front, and 170 feet spire) have been laid and we trust that, like those of old, who, in troublous times, laid the foundation of the
House of God, our hands also will be permitted to complete it (Journal, Diocese of Mississippi, 1871, p. 42).
Later commenting on the "costly and magnificent" building, the bishop determined that it was "unsurpassed by any like undertaking in the South West" (Journal, Diocese of Mississippi, 1871, p. 55).
To accommodate the parishioners while they awaited the completion of Holy Trinity, a "convenient and comfortable" chapel was constructed and remained standing until c. 1894, when a Sunday school was erected in its place and attached to the completed church by a covered walkway. A parish house, dating from c. 1927, now occupies the site of the original chapel (Todd, pp. 11-12).
Because the expense of building such an ambitious church as Holy Trinity far exceeded the congregation's immediate resources, it is not surprising to find that its construction spanned a twenty-four year period. Ten years after construction began, the first service was held within its unfinished interior on March 28, 1880, but it was not until 1894 that Holy Trinity stood completed, having cost a total of approximately $70,000. The Rite of Consecration took place on June 24, 1894, and was described as "an event to which its congregation has been looking forward for years and which latterly has been awaited with almost equal expectation by the community in general" (Daily Commercial Herald, June 24, 1894). With its handsome building completed, the parish of the Holy Trinity thrived.
Its history remained uneventful until 1936, when the Reverend Camille Estornelle of New Jersey arrived in Vicksburg to conduct a two-week mission. His popularity with the parishioners of Holy Trinity was immediate, and many succumbed to his charismatic, almost "hypnotic," personality. In June, 1936, Estornelle was asked by the vestry to act as locum tenens until the recently retired rector could be replaced. This "temporary" arrangement was readily agreed to by Estornelle, who quickly applied for, and was given, the qualified approval of William M. Green, bishop coadjutor of Mississippi. After only a few weeks, several parishioners petitioned the vestry to consider Estornelle for the rectorship, and support for the idea grew throughout the congregation of Holy Trinity.
In the meantime, Bishop Green had learned from the bishop of New Jersey that Estornelle's past included a divorce suit in which he was defendant and a four year suspension from the ministry. Under the circumstances, Bishop Green was not willing to receive, nor was the bishop of New Jersey willing to issue, the Letters Dismissory necessary to transfer Estornelle from one diocese to another. With the support of his vestry and parish, Estornelle refused to resign as rector and throughout 1937 engaged in a letter-writing battle with the bishops, who were unable to force his resignation.
The matter came to a head in November, 1937, when Bishop Green withdrew Estornelle's license to officiate in the Diocese of Mississippi. In January, 1938, Holy Trinity parish retaliated and "withdrew from the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese of Mississippi." This unprecedented move resulted in the trial of Estornelle before the court of the Diocese of Mississippi, where he was found guilty of violating canon law and was ordered to permanently sever all connections with the Diocese (In Court of Review for the Fourth Province,[etc.], pp. 1-29).
The Estornelle affair is unique in the history of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, and is one which is remembered for its bitterness. Not until 1943 did the vestry call a rector to succeed Estornelle, but since that time the parish has enjoyed amiable relations with the diocese and continues to flourish."