This church, excluding the 1957 addition at the eastern end of the building, was dedicated on Tuesday, April 19, 1870. At that time the rose window with the four lancet windows beneath was spoken of as the wheel with four larger compartments below.
In the North, South, East and West segments of the wheel
are the heads of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The open Bible and the cross are in the center of the wheel.
are the heads of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The open Bible and the cross are in the center of the wheel.
The lower part of the window represents scenes in the life of Christ.
In compartment one we see CHRIST BLESSING CHILDREN;
in the second, THE TRANSFIGURATION;
in the third, CHRIST IN THE GARDEN;
and the fourth compartment shows the ASCENSION.
In compartment one we see CHRIST BLESSING CHILDREN;
in the second, THE TRANSFIGURATION;
in the third, CHRIST IN THE GARDEN;
and the fourth compartment shows the ASCENSION.
J. M. Cook Company of Boston produced and installed this window unit. It was in place on the day the church was dedicated (April 1870). Women of the church raised money for the window unit with food sales and other moneymaking affairs. It originally cost $1200. When we consider that this entire church was erected for only $65,000 it becomes apparent that those women made a generous and very beautiful contribution to our house of worship.
The three windows, two from the rose window and one in the narthex, that Mr. Klaren worked on were valued at $5,000 for insurance coverage while away from the church for repairs. This gives us some idea of the value of the entire rose window today.
It has been said that our window was the oldest and probably the loveliest of its kind anywhere in this area. Mr. J, M. Cook may have been the artist himself as artists often worked as a company in those days.
Information form the Baker Library at Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration in Cambridge states that Mr. J. M. Cook died in 1873, three years after our window was installed. His son continued in the company for another ten years. There were no references at the library about the company's products but the business was said to be prosperous.
IN THE MEANTIME we can all rejoice in the great beauty of our window, not only as a work of art but as a valuable antique!