The elaborately carved chair along the right wall of the chancel is the Bishop’s Chair and is only used by the Bishop of Oregon. The word “cathedral” is derived from the Latin word cathedra, meaning chair or throne. While most Episcopal churches have special chairs for the bishop, as the Cathedral for the Diocese of Oregon, the chair in our chancel is, symbolically and literally, the bishop’s throne.
The chair was made by J&R Lamb Studios in New York and was purchased in 1873 for the newly constructed second church by the Trinity Women’s Guild. Made of walnut, the chair is decorated with ecclesiastical symbols including crosses, trefoils, and a mitre or bishop’s hat – a symbol of the bishop’s office. The needlepoint cushion on the chair depicts the seal of the Diocese of Oregon.
