Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church - 1881/1946

626 Wick Ave Yo., OH 44502

Originally built in 1881 as a three-story stone Romanesque Revival mansion for industrialist Charles D. Arms located at 626 Wick Ave; the house sat vacant for 25 years before its acquisition by the Romanian Orthodox parish in 1944.

Architect Arsene Rousseau remodeled the mansion at a cost of $80,000, converting the Arms home into a church. Original woodwork was preserved, and a small Baroque dome was added, while mahogany furniture and stone chimneys were repurposed for the sanctuary and altar.
Completed in 1946, the church became the center of Youngstown’s Romanian community, estimated at 4,000 people by 1926, and hosted cultural and religious gatherings for nearby Romanian colonies.
The church was the first in the United States to be consecrated by Bishop Valerian Trifa in 1952, marking its significance in the Romanian Episcopate.
Participation centers on internal parish organizations, including A.R.F.O.R.A., the longest-established international women’s organization of the Orthodox Church—of which this parish serves as the head of the National Auxiliary Board—and A.R.O.Y. (the youth organization), emphasizing fellowship and support of parish life.
Source: Parish website; Youngstown Vindicator