Historic Pelham

Presenting the rich history of Pelham, NY in Westchester County: current historical research, descriptions of how to research Pelham history online and genealogy discussions of Pelham families.

Friday, October 05, 2018

Christ Church Will Celebrate the 175th Anniversary of its September 15, 1843 Consecration This Sunday


This Sunday, October 6, 2018, the Parishioners of The Parish of Christ The Redeemer will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the consecration of Christ Church on September 15, 1843.  The Town Board of the Town of Pelham, and many others, have extended to Christ Church and its Parishioners heartfelt congratulations and thanks for all the church, its clergy and staff, and its members have done for the benefit of the Town during the last 175 years.  The Town has issued a Proclamation (image and text below) designating Sunday as "Christ Church Day" and has forwarded a letter (text below) for inclusion in the program for the event.

Today's Historic Pelham article addresses the consecration of the Church on September 15, 1843 and documents the invitation issued by Christ Church to its celebration as well as the Town of Pelham's Proclamation and letter of congratulations directed to the Parishioners of The Parish of Christ The Redeemer.  

I have written extensively about the founding of Christ Church as well as its consecration on September 15, 1843.  See, e.g., Thu., Oct. 15, 2015:  The Creation of Christ Church and its Consecration on September 15, 1843See also Tue., Oct. 20, 2015:  Address Delivered by Reverend Robert Bolton on April 28, 1843 at the Laying of the Foundation Stone of Christ Church.  

The original sanctuary structure of Christ Church was built between April 28, 1843, when its cornerstone was laid, and September 15, 1843 when the completed church building was consecrated.  Immediately below is an image of the Church as it first appeared shortly after its construction.


Christ Church, Shortly After It Was Constructed, as Depicted
in the 1848 First Edition of Bolton's History of Westchester County,
Volume 1.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

On Friday, September 15, 1843, a divine service was held in the newly-completed Christ Church.  During that service, The Rev. Robert Bolton's "Instrument of Donation" donating the land on which the new church sat was read to those gathered to worship by order of Bishop Benjamin Tredwell Onderdonk.  The consecration of the new church followed immediately.  See:  Bolton, Jr., Robert, History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the County of Westchester, From Its Foundation, A.D. 1693, to A.D. 1853, pp. 695-696 (NY, NY: Stanford & Swords, 1855).

A brief account of the consecration of the new church that day appeared in the September 23, 1843 issue of The Churchman.  The account provides a fascinating glimpse of that day 175 years ago.  It stated:

"Episcopal Acts

Friday, Sept. 15, consecrated Christ Church, Pelham, an edifice erected on his own premises by the Rev. Robert Bolton, Rector of St. Paul's Church, East Chester.  The instrument of Donation and Request for Consecration by the Rev. Robert Bolton were presented by him to the Bishop, and read by the Rev. Thomas W. Colt D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, New Rochelle.

The sentence of consecration was read by the Rev. Thomas Harris; and the Morning Prayer by the Rev. James Milner, D. D., Rector of St. George's Church New York, assisted by the Rev. William Powell, Rector of St. Peter's Church, Westchester, who read the Lessons.

The sermon was preached by the Bishop who administered Holy Communion.  Eight of the Clergy were present."

Seventy-five years ago on October 31, 1843, Christ Church celebrated the centennial of this consecration.  An account of that centennial celebration appeared in the November 4, 1943 issue of The Pelham Sun and is quoted in its entirety at the close of this article (with a citation and link to its source).


"Christ Church" by William Rickarby Miller (1818-1893).
Watercolor on Paper, Ca. 1856.  Note the Addition of the
Covered Front Entrance.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The Town Board of Pelham, on behalf of the citizens of the Town, has joined with many others to congratulate Christ Church on its 175th anniversary.  Town Supervisor Peter M. DiPaola, Jr. sent the following letter for inclusion in the program for the joyous event:

"September 26, 2018

The Parishioners of The Parish of Christ The Redeemer
Christ Church
1415 Pelhamdale Avenue
Pelham, New York 10803

   Re:       175th Anniversary of the Consecration of Christ Church on September 15, 1843

On behalf of the Town Board and residents of the Town of Pelham, I wish to extend hearty and heart-felt congratulations to the parishioners of The Parish of Christ The Redeemer on the 175th anniversary of the consecration of Christ Church on September 15, 1843.  All of Pelham has great pride in the central role Christ Church, its founders, and its parishioners have played in the success of the Town during the last 175 years.

Founder and first Rector of Christ Church, The Rev. Robert Bolton, and his family had a profoundly positive influence on our town.  That influence began even before the Boltons moved to Pelham in about 1837 to live in the home known as the “Rose Cottage” that still stands at 11 Priory Lane before before they built Bolton Priory (beginning the following year) and Christ Church (in 1843).  Indeed, in about 1836, when the Bolton Family lived on the Pond Field Farm in the settlement of East Chester, no church stood within Pelham’s borders.  Town residents flocked to The Rev. Robert Bolton when he served as Rector of St. Paul’s Church in East Chester before he and his family built Christ Church with their own hands, hewing local native stones, felling trees, carving furnishings and embellishments and, in the case of artisan brothers John Jay and William Bolton, hand-casting heavenly-glorious stained glass windows for the new Church. 

While at East Chester, Rev. Bolton learned how residents of the Town of Pelham hungered for a place of worship.  He and his family satiated that hunger with a glorious church that remains among the most beautiful in the nation and that quickly became part of the fabric of Pelham.

The Reverend Robert Bolton’s words spoken over the cornerstone of Christ Church as it was laid on April 28, 1843 have rung true for more than 175 years:

“we can earnestly implore & can fervently hope for the divine blessing on our undertaking & we can & do entreat your prayers for us that the word of the Lord may here have free course & be glorified & that so there may ever be 'glory to God in the highest, on earth peace & good will toward men.’”

May those words ring just as true, and continue to inspire pride such as that all of Pelham feels today for Christ Church and The Parish of Christ The Redeemer, 175 years from now on September 15, 2193 A.D.  Congratulations, with thanks for all the Church has done for Pelham.

Sincerely,

___________________
Peter D. DiPaola, Jr.
Town Supervisor, Pelham, New York"

Additionally, the Town Board of Pelham has issued a Proclamation designating Sunday, October 6, 2018 as "Christ Church Day."  An image of the Proclamation as well as a transcription of its text (to facilitate search) appear immediately below.


NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"TOWN OF PELHAM, N. Y.

Proclamation

WHEREAS Founder and first Rector of Christ Church the Rev. Robert, and his family had a profoundly positive influence on our Town.  That influence began even before the Boltons moved to Pelham in about 1837 to live in the home known as 'Rose Cottage' that still stands at 11 Priory Lane before they built Bolton Priory; and

WHEREAS No church stood within the Pelham borders so Town residents flocked to the Rev. Robert Bolton when he served as Rector of St. Paul's Church in East Chester.  While there Rev. Bolton learned how residents of the Town of Pelham hungered for a place to worship so he and his family built the Christ Church with their own hands; and 

WHEREAS The Bolton Family built a glorious church that remains among the most beautiful in the nation and that quickly became part of the fabric of Pelham; and 

THEREFORE Town Supervisor Peter DiPaola; Deputy Town Supervisor Daniel McLaughlin, Councilwoman Rae Szymanski, Councilman Blake Bell and Councilman Timothy Case congratulate the parishioners of The Parish of Christ of Christ the Redeemer on the 175th anniversary of the consecration of Christ Church on September 15, 1843 and do hereby proclaim October 6, 2018

Christ Church Day

Given Under My Hand and Seal the Sixth Day of October 2018

Peter M. DiPaola, Jr."

Christ Church prepared a lovely invitation to its celebration for distribution to Parishioners and others.  The various pages of the invitation, the front and back of the RSVP card and the front of the RSVP envelope appear immediately below.  Following all the invitation images, a transcription of the text appears merely to facilitate search.


Invitation, Page 01.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


Invitation, Page 02.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


Invitation, Page 03.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


Invitation, Page 04.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


RSVP Card, Obverse.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


RSVP Card, Reverse.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


RSVP Envelope, Obverse.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Invitation, Page 01:

[Image of Parish of Christ the Redeemer Banner]

"-----
PARISH OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER
PELHAM, NY
-----
175TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
-----"

Invitation, Page 02:

[Image of "Christ Church" Painting by William Rickarby Miller]

Built in 1843 of native granite, Christ Church was the culmination of the dedicated efforts of its first rector, The Rev. Robert Bolton.  Two of the Bolton sons, William and John, became the premier stained glass artisans of their time and created many of the stained glass windows in the church, including The Adoration of the Magi, which is the first figured stained glass window made in America.

Two of the Bolton daughters established missions that became Grace Church, City Island, and the Church of the Redeemer in North Pelham.  The Rev. Cornelius Bolton, fourth son of the Rev. Robert Bolton, served as the Rector of the Church of the Redeemer for twenty-five years, starting in 1881.  In 1972, after prayerful consideration by both congregations and both vestries, a decision was made to become the united Parish of Christ the Redeemer Christ Church was selected as the house of worship and the property of the Church of the Redeemer was turned over to the Town of Pelham to be used for a municipal hall, a center for senior citizens and a child care facility.

Banner Photo Credit:  Lily Moureaux Somssen

Invitation, Page 03:

"The Rector & Vestry of The Parish of Christ the Redeemer

Invite you to Celebrate 175 Years with Dinner & Dancing

Saturday, October 6, 2018 6:30 pm

New York Athletic Club
Travers Island
Pelham Manor, NY  10803

RSVP by September 28
Cocktail Attire"

Invitation, Page 04:

"175th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION COMMITTEE

Claire Allen & Cherrie Greenhalgh
CO-CHAIRS

Jennifer Alleyne
Cathie Arquilla
Angela Barone
Kari Black
Allison Bodenmann
Jeff Bodenmann
Rosemarie Carver
Marie Dumas
Michael Fawcett
John Felicetti
Charlette Finch
Etta Cumbs
John Hastings
Margo Hastings
Jeffrey Hoffman
Carol Ipsen
Erik Ipsen
Missy Kisob
Courtney McGrory
Michael Moynihan
Sandra Rivera
Melissa Roddy
Janet Salvatore
Siggy Sessa
Lily Moureaux Somssen
Ann Sorice
Ann Swanson
Kristin Van Ogtrop
Margaret Young
Barbara Zambelli

THE PARISH OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER

The Rev. Matthew Hoxsie Mead
RECTOR

The Rev. Canon Susan Harriss
PRIEST ASSOCIATE

The Rev. Deacon Katie Lawrence
DEACON

Jeffrey Hoffman
ORGANIST & CHOIRMASTER

Marie Main
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

Walter Roberts
VERGER & SEXTON

Ed Blue
SEXTON

VESTRY
Jeff Bodenmann SENIOR WARDEN
Carol Ispen [sic] JUNIOR WARDEN
Anne Calder TREASURER
Jackie Vigil CLERK

Angela Barone
Curtis Chase
Alice Dean
John Fox
Etta Cumbs
Amy Heese
Jack Kaufmann
Gavin Leckie
Colette Phipps

HOULIHAN LAWRENCE
ARTHUR L. SCINTA
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE INVITATION FOR THE EVENT"

RSVP CARD, Obverse.

"PARISH OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER

175th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
10.6.2018

TICKETS (Deadline for Journal listing is September 21)
Table for 10 $5000/Table (Journal Listing)
Bolton Benefactor $500/Ticket (Journal Listing)
Divine Duo $275 for Two Tickets
Stylish Single $150 for One Ticket

For more information, please call 914.738.5515 or email marie@christchurchpelham.org

JOURNAL OPPORTUNITIES (Closing date for Journal ads is September 21)
Full-page color Ad 6"w x 9"h $750
Full page B/W Ad 6"w x 9"h $500
Half-page B/W Ad 6"w x 4.5"h $250
Quarter Page B/W Ad (business card size) $100

For more information on the Journal, please e-mail Missy Kisob at kisob@msn.com

All net proceeds from the 175th Anniversary Celebration of the Parish of Christ the Redeemer will be directed to the 175th Anniversary Capital Campaign."

RSVP Card, Reverse.

"PARISH OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER
RSVP by September 28

175th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
10.6.2018

PLEASE COMPLETE ALL FIELDS

Name (as you would like it in all printed materials)
Company (optional)
Address
City/State/Zip
Phone
email
Donation - I / We cannot attend, but would like to donate $___
Enclosed is my check in the amount of $___ (payable to Christ Church)

Contributions & Journal ads are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
$125 per ticket and $1250 table is non-deductible."

RSVP Envelope, Obverse:

"CHRIST CHURCH
THE PARISH OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER
1415 Pelhamdale Avenue
Pelham, NY  10803"

*           *          *          *          *

"100th Anniversary Was Observed At Christ Church, Sunday, Oct. 31
-----
Rev. H. Bonnell Spencer O. H. C., Preached Sermon at Service Marking Centennial of Completion of Church and its Consecration in 1843.
-----

The 100th Anniversary of the completion of Christ Church Pelham Manor, and its formal consecration in 1843, was observed by the parish on the dedication festival of Christ, the King, Sunday, Oct. 31st.  Rev. Thomas Taggard and the Rev. Joseph Barnes Williams are the clergy of the church.

The choral celebration of the Holy Eucharist marked a solemn and joyful thanksgiving offered by the whole parish for the blessings of the century of its life just completed, and a humble re-dedication of effort to carry on the fine application of Christian ideals and life which were exemplified in the lives of the founder of the parish, the Rev. Robert Bolton and his family.

The anniversary sermon on this occasion was delivered by the Rev. H. Bonnell Spencer, Order of the Holy Cross.  Father Spencer is well known in Pelham because of the ten-day preaching mission which he conducted at Christ Church in December, 1940, in association with the Rev. Alan Whittemore, Superior of the Order of the Holy Cross.  

On Oct. 31st, there were the usual 8:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, with parish breakfast and Church School.  At 11:15 a.m. the combined choirs led the procession.

A century-old account of the consecration of the church has been found in 'The Churchman' of Sept. 23, 1843 under the heading 'Episcopal Acts' as follows:

'Friday, Sept. 15, consecrated Christ Church, Pelham, an edifice erected on his own premises by the Rev. Robert Bolton, Rector of St. Paul's Church, East Chester.  The instrument of Donation and Request for Consecration by the Rev. Robert Bolton were presented by him to the Bishop, and read by the Rev. Thomas W. Colt D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, New Rochelle.

'The sentence of consecration was read by the Rev. Thomas Harris; and the Morning Prayer by the Rev. James Milner, D. D., Rector of St. George's Church New York, assisted by the Rev. William Powell, Rector of St. Peter's Church, Westchester, who read the Lessons.

'The sermon was preached by the Bishop who administered Holy Communion.  Eight of the Clergy were present.'

The bishop of the diocese at that time was the Right Reverend Treadwell Onderdonk.

In connection with the centennial celebration a Parish History has been compiled by a committee of laymen of the parish, under the leadership of Edward F. Hudson, James Edgar Morris and Edwin O. Perrin.  The book is profusely illustrated and is dedicated to Miss Arabella Jay Bolton who is now, and has been all her life, an active member of the parish.  Copies of the History may be secured from Mrs. William N. Hurlbut or at the church office.

Services this week have included a celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Monday Nov. 1 which was All Saints Day."


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Friday, March 31, 2017

William Jay Bolton's Stained Glass Windows in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn


William Jay Bolton was a son of the Reverend Robert Bolton, founder of Christ Church and owner of the Priory, built beginning in 1838.  His mother was Ann Jay.  The Priory, in Pelham Manor, has been known as The Priory, Bolton Priory, Pelham Priory, the Priory School for Girls, and Pelham Priory for Girls.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

William Jay Bolton was born in Bath, England.  He attended an evangelical school in Mill Hill near London and then attended Cambridge University.  In 1836, he and his family moved to Eastchester in Westchester County, New York.  In about 1838, the family moved to Pelham and began to build the Priory.  About 1839, famed author Washington Irving (a family friend), introduced William Jay Bolton to Samuel F. B. Morse.  He became a student of Morse at the National Academy of Design as he honed his skills as a talented artist.  According to one account:

"In 1841 Bolton went to Europe where he saw masterpieces of art, mostly in Italy. Here he did many drawings and sketches of these and bought art for the family home. In 1842 Bolton returned to Pelham where he earnestly began his work in stained glass. Here he had a small shop at the rear of a house near the "Pelham Priory," the Gothic Revival family home in Pelham. The equipment he had to work with was sparse. He had a muffle kiln, which was used for firing his work after he painted details on the coloured glass. Bolton's younger brother John (1818–1898) assisted him in making and designing stained glass."

Source:  "William Jay Bolton" in Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia (visited Mar. 19, 2017).

William Jay Bolton was an exceptional artist eventually admitted to the National Academy of Design.  He taught himself the art of stained glass by creating a few small panels for the windows of the Priory.  He later created for Christ Church a monumental stained glass masterwork entitled "Adoration of the Magi."  It was the first figural stained glass window created in America.  (See image later in this article.)  The "Adoration of the Magi" figural stained glass work was completed and in place by the time the church was consecrated on September 15, 1843.  This work preceded his master work, the extensive stained glass windows at the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, New York.



"Miriam and Jubal," Painted and Stained Glass Window by
William Jay Bolton with Assistance of His Brother, John
Bolton, Installed in Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, New York.
Source:  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, William Jay Bolton.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

William Jay Bolton moved to England in about the late 1840s where he opened a stained glass studio in Cambridge.  After the death of his first wife, he ceased his stained glass work and became an ordained minister in an Anglican Church in about 1853.  He was Vicar of Stratford East Church in London from 1866 to 1881.  He also was associated with St. James Church in Bath from 1881 to 1884.  He died in Bath in 1884.  Se"William Jay Bolton" in Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia (visited Mar. 19, 2017).

William Jay Bolton's stained glass works in the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn are considered his masterworks.  The church, with its masterful Bolton windows, still stands at Montague and Clinton Streets, Brooklyn.  There are fifty windows in the series.  All were not only designed by William Jay Bolton, but also were personally executed by him.  Some believe he was assisted in the execution by a brother, John Bolton.  The church opened in 1847, although the Bolton stained glass windows reportedly were not complete at the time the church first opened.  According to one account, "neither the exact date of completion nor their original cost is recorded."

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of an extensive article published in 1933 about the Bolton windows.



"WILLIAM JAY BOLTON, A. N. A. 1816-1884"
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.



"Adoration of the Magi," America's First Figural Stained Glass Window.
Created by William Jay Bolton for Christ Church, Pelham Manor, NY.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.



Bolton Cottage Used by William Jay Bolton as a Stained Glass
Studio During the Mid-19th Century, Since Razed.  Source: Courtesy
of the Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.  NOTE:
Click on Image to Enlarge.



*          *          *          *           *

"Art Treasures in Church Windows
Rare Examples of Stained Glass Adorn Windows of Brooklyn Heights Church
By Esther A. Coster

STAINED glass has always made a strong appeal to lovers of beauty, not only for the fascinating play of color but for the romance that still surrounds the art in its most glorious period.  Many of the secrets of the matters of the Middle Ages have been lost, although modern craftsmen have evolved beauties in glass with increasing skill.

One of the stories showing the value placed upon stained glass windows is that of the capture of Francis I at the battle of Pavia and the subsequent demand that part of the ransom should consist of a specified window of the Middle Ages are still treasured and their loss or injury considered a national calamity.

In the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity at Montague and Clinton Streets, Brooklyn, are some of the finest examples of stained glass windows in this country, and they are considered by art authorities to compare most favorable with the best of European glass.  These are all the work of one man, William Jay Bolton, who not only designed but personally executed the entire series of fifty windows.

His method was one essentially his own, being closely akin to the old Flemish manner with the design painted and fired into ground or colored glass, using the strong simple colors of the great artificers of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth centuries.  His colors are clear, strong and exceedingly brilliant.  His leads are so placed that they enhance rather than interrupt the drawing, and his shadows distributed with full understanding of the effect of light shining through rather than of realistic lines.

These windows are placed along the sides of the church, one set below and one above the gallery, in both sides of the clerestory, and in the choir loft.  The climax of the series is the huge chancel window of many panels, representing the 'Glorification of Christ,' often called 'The Ascension.'

The windows portray history as given in the Bible, the clearstory, giving Old Testament scenes beginning with Adam driven out of Eden.  Above the gallery the series is continued with the life of Christ, the original crayon drawing of the Babe for 'Adoration' being one of the treasured possessions of the church.  Below the gallery the windows deal with the genealogy of Jesus, closing with 'Joseph-Mary-Christ.'  The Tree of Jesse serves as a connecting thought in all.  In the choir are the four writers of the Gospels.

The windows as well as the church building were due to the foresight, devotion and generosity of Edgar John Bartow, one of the wealthy men of his time whose dream was to build and equip a beautiful church which should be free in every sense.  The Gothic design with its flamboyant stone tracery for the windows was the work of Minard Lafever.  His design was more simple than the donor at first desired, but the building, formally opened in 1847, remains today essentially as Lafever left it.  Unfortunately financial reverses prevented the complete fulfillment of Mr. Bartow's dream.

The windows were not completed when the church was opened, and neither the exact date of completion nor their original cost is recorded.  However, some indication of the difficulty in replacing Bolton's work is found in a recent accident to one of the choir loft windows.  Boys casting stones at pigeons pierced one of the windows through both the exterior protecting glass and the precious inner color.  A piece that happened to be the head of one of the Apostles was shattered.  The best expert available was engaged and at a cost of much study, considerable time, and $40 the small piece was restored as closely as possible to its original appearance.

The late Otto Heinigke, one of the leading stained glass workers of his time, said in January, 1906, of these windows:  'There is nothing in this wide country so worthy of our effort at preservation as this valuable work of one of our pioneers, based as it is on the best traditions of a most influential phase of the art, the Flemish style of glass painting.  Let us pray for the quality of courage that this man displayed when he dared to do such work.'

In the vestibule is a window of more modern date and type, but even the veriest amateur must at a glance note unfavorably the contrast in color and craftsmanship with the Bolton glass.

These windows of Holy Trinity belong in a class of which only four outstanding examples exist, and which are described as 'shrines of the glass lover.'  These are in Sainte Chapelle in Paris, Fairford near Oxford, Egmontiers and Sainte Foye at Conches.  Holy Trinity's windows are catalogued by foreign critics
-----
(Continued on page 17)

Art Treasures in Church Windows
-----
(Continued from page 7)

among the art treasures worthy of attention by visitors to this country, and are listed as one of the worthwhile 'sights' of New York City.

The artist Bolton was grandson of an Englishman  who settled in Georgia and became a prosperous planter.  His father was a clergyman who lived for some years in England where William was born, in 1816.  The family returned to American in 1843 and erected Bolton Priory at Pelham, Westchester County.  There, anticipating the William Morris movement, they developed art and handicrafts.  William turned his attention to stained glass and executed some of the windows in Bolton Priory.  These and the Holy Trinity windows are the chief examples of his work in America, as he established a glass studio in Cambridge, England, soon after the Trinity windows were completed.  There he restored the windows in King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

Dr. Robert L. Dickinson, one of the enthusiastic admirers of the work of Bolton and Lafever and to whom the church owes the collection of photographs and drawings of the windows, told of a visit he made to England to visit a daughter of Bolton, who though bedridden for many years recovered sufficiently to visit America to see the windows of which her modest father had never spoken.

In her garret home Dr. Dickinson discovered the drawing of the baby for the 'Adoration' window, which had been lost for sixty years, and brought it back to become one of Holy Trinity's historic treasures.  

The Gethsemane window with its three panels is one of the designs that is planned especially to be viewed at a distance.  In this also in one of those 'asides' introduced as a personal link between the artist and the beholder.  Dr. Dickinson speaks of this as 'the dove, the spirit of peace, dropping down out of the dark toward the lonely figure that kneels in the central panel.'

Above the panels of every window is a marvelous rose window effect with each small inset of glass perfect in design and color and allied in significance with the window beneath.  In many of the windows the text in the Bible upon which the design is based is painted in the glass.

The entire interior of the church glows with the rich color that flows through the glass.  One's first impression is of a very limited palette of strong hues, but then the delicate shadings become evident and give an indescribable effect of harmony and peace."

Source:  Coster, Esther A., "Art Treasures in Church Windows -- Rare Examples of Stained Glass Adorn Windows of Brooklyn Heights Church" in The Eagle Magazine, pp. 7 & 17 Section G. of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Oct. 8, 1933 (Brooklyn, NY).  

Immediately below are black and white images of some of the Bolton windows that were published with the article above, on page 7 of The Eagle Magazine.  





NOTE:  Click on Images to Enlarge.

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I have written before about William Jay Bolton and his stained glass creations.  For a few of many examples, see:

Fri., May 08, 2015:  More About William Jay Bolton of Pelham: Creator of First Figured Stained Glass Windows in America.  

Wed., Sep. 24, 2014:  Where Was the Bolton Family Cottage Where Stained Glass Windows Were Created?

Tue., Oct. 09, 2007:  Biographical Data About William Jay Bolton of Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 19, 2007:  The Harp of Pelham: A Book Published in 1844 by William Jay Bolton of Pelham Manor.

Mon., Apr. 4, 2005:  Art and Poetry of William Jay Bolton of Bolton Priory in Pelham.

Thu., Apr. 7, 2005:  Another Volume of William Jay Bolton's Sketches and Ruminations Located? 

Fri., Apr. 1, 2005:  The Earliest Newspaper in Pelham?

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