Stories from the First Cathedral 24: Stained Glass Windows, Continued
Stories from the First Cathedral 24: Stained Glass Windows, Continued
This story will finish my description of the stained glass windows in the First Cathedral buildings (1862 Cathedral, 1934 Cathedral addition, 1893 Guild House, 1905 Guild House addition, and the 2005 Cathedral Cloister). Writing about the stained glass windows without color images is very difficult! When the covid days have passed, I would be happy to give a tour as the First Cathedral Archivist to any group so they can observe the beautiful windows.
In the Guild House, there are several windows throughout the building. In the Great Hall (in the 1893 Guild House) are the most beautiful windows and all have memorials attached to them. The most attractive window is the Resurrection window on the stage of the Great Hall. It was given in memory of the Rev Edward Clark Bill. From 1893 to 1905, the Resurrection window was on an outside wall benefiting from the natural light. When the addition was completed the window needed to be illuminated by artificial light. This light is powered by bulbs, which need changing about every three years. The window needs to be raised up with a pulley that is in the attic of the Guild House to be changed. The access now can only be obtained through a ceiling door in the kitchen. It is an adventure to change the bulbs!
Two other windows include a John the Baptist image window in memory of James Lloyd Breck, and reflects his title of being "an apostle of the wilderness." Across the Great Hall from this window is a grouping of windows with the image of Samuel, the Old Testament prophet, and a young boy. These windows are in memory of Herbert McArthur Smith who accidentally killed himself with a gun that was not locked up. He was three years old! There are many other windows throughout the Guild house, which are decorative in nature. The ones in the Dean's office are very colorful with rich warm pigment that is really beautiful especially in the mornings.
The windows in the 2005 Cloister were obtained from Blooming Prairie, MN while I was Dean of the Cathedral. The Episcopal church in Blooming Prairie was deconsecrated in the 1920's and the building was taken over by the Methodists. I received a call from a friend of mine, who was an antique dealer about these windows. The Methodists who occupied this former Episcopal church were leaving the building and were selling the windows and other Episcopal artifacts. I left the Cathedral as fast as I could with my 2005 Ford Ranger truck to get to Blooming Prairie. When I arrived the windows were already stacked outside. There were only three left. I don't know how many were originally in the building. The windows were beautiful (mostly decorative images) with memorials on the bottom. I was so lucky to find the Bishop Whipple memorial on one of them. I pulled up and visited with the Methodist demolition crew and told them who I was. They said I could have them as a gift. I went around town and found cardboard and whatever I could find to pile the three windows in the back of my Ranger. They stuck out about three feet from the back as the windows were about 10 feet long. I slowly made it back to Faribault without any damage.
About a month later, I received a call from a family from Blooming Prairie telling me they had another window they purchased from an antique dealer. I drove over the next day and visited with the family and confirmed it was part of the same Episcopal church as the others. They said I could have the window if I would place a plaque below the window as a memorial for their son who had died in his 20s.
These four windows were mounted in the Cloister in the window framing of the Cloister openings, which all are clear. There were three gentlemen from the First Cathedral who restored them and hung them. They look wonderful in the Cloister and the First Cathedral didn't have to raise funds to provide stained glass windows in the Cathedral Cloister.