Tour attendees learn about notable details from Trinity Episcopal Church’s past on Dec. 26. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — A Christmas tree made up of red poinsettias could be found filling a corner of the sanctuary in Trinity Episcopal Church on Dec. 26 during the Shepherdstown Tour of Historic Churches.

While the beauty of the holiday decorations and building’s interior design were enough to impress most of the tour attendees, what proved to be of even more of note were the stories in the building’s past.

According to historical records, Trinity Episcopal Church began in 1739, to serve as a chapel for the church in Winchester, Virginia. The log chapel was built on the corner of Church Street and High Street by the Frederick Parish and came to be known as “The Old English Church” for many years. It was officially named “Trinity” during the 1836 Convention of the Episcopal Church.

“The original log structure was replaced by a stone building in 1769, six years after the town of Mecklenburg (now Shepherdstown) was incorporated,” wrote former vestryman Mark Hollis, who completed “The History of Trinity” in 2009. “Following the Revolution and disestablishment of the Church of Virginia, the building became the victim of neglect, and, in 1815, the church was rebuilt by the St Andrew’s Parish and enlarged in 1840.”

That expansion project proved to not be extensive enough to adequately serve the church’s congregation, and so, two years later, a new building project was undertaken. The church’s new building was designed in 1842. Over the next 13 years, $10,000 was raised to build the church in its current location, at 208 W. German St.

“Construction was started in 1855,” Hollis wrote. “Four years later, on April 5, 1859, the stone church was completed, and Trinity Church, as we know it today, was consecrated.”

Seven years later, the Battle of Antietam led to the occupation of Shepherdstown by Union and Confederate troops, who turned the churches and many of the other buildings in town into field hospitals. An unexpected order was made, however, not to use Trinity Episcopal Church’s building for this purpose, due to its new condition, according to several of the tour docents.

“Shepherdstown, due to its location during the War Between the States, was positioned in the path of both armies. As a result, over the four years of the conflict, Shepherdstown changed hands many times, sometimes on a weekly basis,” Hollis wrote. “The frequent changes resulted in an unusual situation regarding religious services, as, on one Sunday, the congregation might be populated by Confederate soldiers and the next week by Union troops.

“Though, throughout the war, Shepherdstown changed hands under fire, Trinity Church escaped damage, and the church shows no evidence of canon projectile or small arms damage. During the bloody battle of Antietam, it is reported that most of the church buildings were used for hospitals,” Hollis wrote, noting that church records indicate that Trinity was the exception to this rule. “Following the Battle of Antietam, Trinity was designated as the community place of worship and was one of the few buildings in Shepherdstown not used to house wounded soldiers.”

While the other church buildings in Shepherdstown underwent some temporary changes to house the wounded soldiers, such as the removal of the pews and pulpits from their sanctuaries, Trinity’s building only underwent an increase in foot traffic during the military occupation.

The timing of the church’s building project may have made all of the difference in ensuring the building could still be found in excellent condition over 160 years later. If completed earlier, the building may have been turned into a field hospital.

If it had not yet been completed, another church building would likely have been given the exception, but because the church’s new building was completed in 1859, it became the only church in Shepherdstown with a particularly unique Civil War experience from that of its contemporaries.