The eleven stained glass windows are a prominent feature of our sanctuary. Although some members view them with affection, the stained glass windows and their association with traditional Christianity cause a sense of unease for others.

In recent years the Historic Preservation Committee has studied the windows' history, including their styles, subjects, makers and the persons honored by them. Information is available in church archives and period newspapers, but the records are far from complete. This brochure is the result of the Committee's project and is a work in progress.

Memorials
Ten of the stained glass windows were given to memorialize the lives of former members and one memorializes a former minister. Only the Pratt window (3) was in place at the dedication of the building in 1906, but a remarkable flurry of gifts of stained glass windows immediately followed. By 1911, eight windows had been dedicated. Ten years later, the Peabody window (9) was dedicated in memory of a young member who died while serving in World War I. After a thirty-seven year hiatus, the Metcalf and Bachrach windows (5 and 8) were dedicated in 1958 and 1959, respectively.

Subject Matter
A variety of secular and sacred subjects are illustrated in the stained glass. Some reflect the life or interests of the person memorialized. A window portraying the fine arts paying tribute to religion (6) was chosen to memorialize the life of Rev. Francis Tiffany, who was a poet and painter as well as minister of this church for seventeen years. In honor of her work as a public school teacher and principal, the Mira E. Metcalf window (8) is devoted to public school education and the teaching profession. A window illustrating "The Arming of the Christian Knight" (9) bears witness to the battlefield death of Ellery Peabody, Jr. Dorothy Keyes Bachrach's lifelong interest in music is reflected in a window (5) that depicts three classical musical works. The students and former students of Nathaniel Topliff Allen chose to memorialize him with a window (7) that portrays his life works and character through a mix of biblical and secular scenes.

Several of the windows present Christian subjects. The Lovett window (1), which is prominently located above the chancel, portrays Jesus delivering the Sermon on the Mount. The predellas below also portray several New Testament stories. Six parables preached by Jesus are shown in the Frost window (10) and scenes from the life of Jesus are portrayed in the Burrage window (4).

Two of the earliest windows portray abstract human ideals. The three allegorical figures in the Pratt window (3) portray Truth, Love and Faith. On the opposite wall, the Gane window (11), which was intended as a companion window to the Pratt Window, also displays allegorical figures. They represent Justice, Mercy and Reason.

The Raymond window (2) shows three symbolic figures: the left figure is a knight in armor; in the center a female figure holds a flower; and to the right a third figure holds what appears to be a bishop's crosier. The meaning of the symbols in the Raymond window has not been determined, and it is hoped that someone who reads this brochure will be able to unlock its meaning.

The Artistic Styles
The Historic Preservation Committee believes that six of the windows were made in London and five were made in the United States. Significant stylistic differences are evident between the English and American windows. The English windows tend towards pictorial scenes, often illustrating Bible stories. Another important characteristic of the English windows is the substantial amount of painted glass, which includes many delicate painted human features. In contrast, the American windows tend towards bolder designs and strong colors. Their composition is more two-dimensional, emphasizing the colors and textures of the glass itself.

American windows:
In all, there are five American windows. The Pratt, Gane and Raymond windows (3, 11 and 2) were dedicated between 1906 and 1908. The remaining two American windows, the Metcalf (8) and Bachrach (5) were dedicated in the late 1950's.

The Pratt, Gane and Raymond windows (3, 11 and 2) are considered examples of American Neo-Gothic Stained Glass. The Gane Window (11) was designed by George H. Hallowell, a painter who trained under Edmund Tarbell and Frank Benson. Harry E. Goodhue of Cambridge was the "glassman" for both the Pratt window (3) and the Gane window (11). Goodhue is remembered for his work with handcrafted glass and his experimentation with striking color schemes. Unfortunately, the designer and maker of the especially beautiful Raymond window (2) are unknown, although its style suggests that it too was made by an American glassman.

It is certain that the architect of this building, Ralph Adams Cram, had a strong hand in the selection of both Harry E. Goodhue and George H. Hallowell who collaborated on a regular basis with Cram. Harry Goodhue was the brother of Ralph Adams Cram's architectural partner, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. Cram was known for an unusually high degree of involvement with the artists and craftsmen responsible for his buildings' furnishings and interiors. Another artist who regularly worked with Cram was Angelo Lualdi who carved the Society's oak pulpit.

As a leader of the gothic revival, Ralph Adams Cram sought out stained glass that was based on 13th century French Gothic glass. At the time of the building's construction, Harry E. Goodhue was among the few American artists working in "antique" glass, i.e. glass hand-crafted in the medieval tradition. However, by the 1920's, Boston had become known as the pre-eminent producer of Neo-Gothic Revival Glass. For much of the twentieth century, the most prominent American glass studio working in the Neo-Gothic glass style was Charles J. Connick Associates, Inc. of Boston. Connick and Cram worked closely together on many churches and collegiate buildings.

In 1958 and 1959, the First Unitarian Society turned to Connick for the final two windows in the sanctuary -- the Metcalf window (8), which celebrates public education and the Bachrach window (5), which portrays three works of classical music. These two windows are notable for the purity and clarity of colored glass and their detailed use of symbols. At the time they were made, Connick Associates was headed by Orin E. Skinner, a master glassman in his own right, who had served as Connick's lead assistant. Both Charles J. Connick and Orin E. Skinner were residents of Newton.

English windows:
The six English windows were dedicated in the period between 1908 and 1921. They are the Lovett (1), Burrage (4), Tiffany (6), Allen (7), Peabody (9) and Frost (10) windows.

Although the initial windows were locally made, within a few years of the building's dedication the Society turned to a prominent London studio for the large windows at the front and rear walls of the sanctuary. Both the Allen and Lovett windows (7 and 1) were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne and installed in 1908.

Written documentation indicates that the Peabody and Frost windows (9 and 10) were also made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Although no record has been found, unquestionably the Tiffany and Burrage windows (6 and 4) were also made by the same company. A 1910 article in The Newton Graphic describes the Burrage Window as "one of the best examples of modern English work." Stylistically, all four of these windows are linked by an identical palette and pictorial style as well as a distinctive silver-colored architectural detail that frames the scenes.

Clement Heaton, James Butler and Robert Bayne began their stained glass business in 1855, and a decade later established their studio in Covent Garden, London. During a long career, the firm produced stained glass for a great number of churches throughout the United Kingdom and its colonies as well as the United States. Westminister Abbey includes a Heaton, Butler and Bayne window, which was installed in 1868. A documentary film entitled "Stained Glass Masters: Heaton, Butler and Bayne" was produced in 2000 by celebrated filmmaker Karl Krogstad.

The six Heaton, Butler and Bayne windows seem to be typical of the English Gothic Revival style of their time. Stained glass inspired by the work of medieval craftsmen had come back into fashion in the United Kingdom during the second half of the nineteenth century. By the time of our building's construction many English glass craftsmen were able to produce glass in the Gothic spirit. Ralph Adams Cram was familiar with their work and frequently recommended that his clients engage them, especially Christopher Whall, an accomplished English glassman whose work Cram introduced into the United States. However, it is not known whether Cram recommended or approved the choice of Heaton, Butler and Bayne.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR -- A STARTING POINT
If you wish to take a closer look at the stained glass windows in the sanctuary, you might start by examining the painted portions of the glass. Ask whether they are incidental or important to the sense of the overall piece. Now look to the glass itself -- can you distinguish different textures? The bubbles, ridges, ripples and indentations blown into antique glass enhance the beauty of the transmitted light.

Some of the windows can be considered pairs and it is interesting to consider their similarities in style and subject. For example, there is a striking similarity in the glass colors and style of the Lovett and Allen windows (1 and 7), which were dedicated just one week apart. The dedication of the Gane window (11) designed it as a "companion" for the Pratt window (3). Connick Associates used both the same palette and willowy shape for the figures that appear in the Metcalf window (8) and the Bachrach window (5).

Lovett Window (1)
Person memorialized: George Lincoln Lovett (1833 - 1897)
Made by: Heaton, Butler and Bayne, London
Dedicated: April 12, 1908
Donor: family of George Lincoln Lovett.
The large window in the chancel (south wall) contains five separate scenes. Jesus preaching Sermon on the Mount is portrayed in the principal panel. He is shown in the midst of a gathering of various persons, including children and their mothers, Pharisees, doctors of the law, Roman soldiers, eager youths and disciples.

The predellas below depict four New Testament scenes. Beginning on the left, they are Nathaniel talking with Jesus; the woman of Samaria at the well with Jesus; the Good Samaritan ministering to the wounded man on the wayside; and the Publican and Pharisee who went to the temple.

At the window's dedication in 1908, Rev. Julian Jaynes described George Lincoln Lovett as a member of the Society who had "made his way from humble circumstances to large business success. He reserved a margin of his energy for religious and social causes....Gentle in manner, firm in conviction, he was strictly loyal to the moral ideal, generously helpful to human needs, and responsive to all the demands of the friendly and neighborly life." At the date of his death George Lincoln Lovett lived at 221 Mt. Vernon Street. The records do not provide the names of the family members who gave the window.

Raymond Window (2)
Person memorialized: Mary Porter Raymond (1851 - 1900)
Made by: unknown
Dedicated: between 1906 and 1908, exact date unknown
Donor: Freeborn F. Raymond and Marion P. Raymond

The left figure appears to be a knight in armor. In the center, a female figure holds a flower. To the right, the third figure holds what appears to be a bishop's crosier. The meaning of the three figures in the window is unclear. The window’s maker is also unknown, but the stained glass is considered to be of the American Neo-Gothic style.

Mary Porter Raymond was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. At the age of 48, she died of appendicitis while at her home at 173 Otis Street. The window was the gift of her husband and daughter.






Pratt Window (3)
Person memorialized: Lucius Gale Pratt (1824-1905)
Designed by: George H. Hallowell
Made by: Harry E. Goodhue
Dedicated: October 14, 1906
Donors: unknown

The Pratt window was the only stained glass window that had been installed when the church was dedicated. It is also the only window for which history records separate names for the designer and glassman.

Three allegorical figures are portrayed. The winged figure in the center represents Truth. She is slightly elevated over the other two and holds an open book that reads, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." The left and right figures represent love and faith. The right figure appears to be holding a tiny infant. The robes of the three figures are made of large pieces of particularly brilliant jewel-toned glass. They are framed by multi-colored geometric designs in the glass.

Only limited information has been located about Lucius G. Pratt. At his death, the Newton Directory listed 73 Highland Street as his residence and a downtown Boston address for his business.

Burrage Window (4)
Person memorialized: Ruby Childs Burrage (1848 - 1904)
Made by: Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Dedicated: June 19, 1910
Donor: Harry L. Burrage

According to the Newton Graphic dated June 24, 1910, the Burrage window was English-made. Given the stylistic similarities to the windows known to have been made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, particularly the companion Frost window (10), the Burrage window was certainly made by the same studio.

It presents six scenes from the life of Jesus. The three large panels show, from left to right, angels announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds; the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph; and the wise men from the far east, clad in splendid raiment laying their gifts beside the cradle. The predellas below show, from left to right, the baptism of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry; the reception of little children by Jesus; and Jesus with his hands tied confronting Pilate, the Roman Governor.

The Burrage window is characterized by a great deal of painted glass that gives a three dimensional appearance to the pictorial scenes.

We know very little about Ruby Childs Burrage. City records show that she was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts and married to Herbert E. Burrage. At her death at the age of 56, she resided at 38 Prince Street. The donor, Harry L. Burrage, was her son.

Bachrach Window (5)
Person memorialized: Dorothy Keyes Bachrach (1887 - 1956)
Made by: Charles J. Connick Associates, Inc.
Dedicated: September 13, 1959
Donors: Louis Fabian Bachrach, Bradford Keyser Bachrach, Jeanne Bachrach Kimball and Louis Fabian Bachrach, Jr.

Dedicated to music, the major panels present a choir of three angels playing, from left to right, trumpet, viol and bells. In the predellas below, the angels hold scrolls representing music of Handel's "Messiah," Johann Sebastian Bach's "Mass in B Minor" and Brahm's "Requiem."

In sunlight, the whole Bachrach window appears to glow with a brilliant blue light. It is interesting to compare the willowy angels with their close-fitting robes to the more robust figures with flowing robes that appear in the Pratt and Gane windows.

Connick's original design for the window did not include an angel choir, but rather portrayed the full-length figures of the composers Johannes Brahms, Johann Sebastian Bach and Henry Purcell. In response, the Bachrach family proposed substituting a choir of stylized angels. The instruments and musical selections were also chosen by the Bachrach family.

Dorothy Keyes Bachrach was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and reared in a family devoted to music. Before her marriage to Louis Fabian Bachrach, she worked in public music education, supervising the music program at public schools in Worcester County. She was an active member of this Society for many years. At her death, Dorothy Keyes Bachrach lived at 128 Highland Street. The donors of the window were her husband and three children.

Tiffany Window (6)
Person memorialized: Rev. Francis Tiffany (? - ?)
Made by: Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Dedicated: May 14, 1911
Donors: Rev. Tiffany's former parishioners

At the Tiffany window's dedication, Rev. Julian C. Jaynes described it as portraying "the fine arts paying tribute to the sentiment of religion." He stated, "[Rev. Tiffany] was poet, philosopher, painter, satirist, prophet, philanthropist, all in one." The window's location was chosen to be adjacent to the corbel dedicated to Rev. Tiffany's wife, Esther Alison Tiffany.

The allegorical figure in the central panel holds a scroll representing the fine arts. The left and right panels depict four figures engaged in painting, music, sculpture and poetry. The scenes are framed by a distinctive silver architectural detail. The painted faces and hands of the human figures are especially delicate.

Lawrence Shaw Mayo's 1923 history of the Society describes Rev. Francis Tiffany as "lovable and scholarly" and "our first long-term minister." A graduate of Harvard College, he was a Unitarian minister in Springfield, Massachusetts and professor of English at Antioch College prior to his ministry in West Newton. Due to poor health which interrupted his service to this Society, he served two separate terms -- 1866-71 and 1874-83.

Allen Window (7)
Person memorialized: Nathaniel Topliff Allen (1823 - 1903)
Made by: Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Dedicated: April 19, 1908
Donors: Nathaniel Allen's family, students and former students

Peace is represented by the elevated figure in the central panel. It bears the inscription, "Do good, seek peace and pursue it." A predella below depicts the arts and industries of a peaceful land, showing a smith beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.

Truth holds a lighted lamp in the second panel; Nicodemus appears above, coming to Jesus to study his teaching. Education is portrayed in the second panel, which shows a child who looks up to the face of the teacher. A predella presents Paul sitting at the feet of his teacher, Gamaliel. Freedom is shown removing the chains from the limbs of a slave in the fourth panel. Peter's release from prison by an angel is portrayed above. Courage appears in the extreme right panel. Stephen, the proto-martyr, is represented above.

The window honors the life of Nathaniel T. Allen, a prominent educator, pacifist and abolitionist who was among the founding members of our Society. He founded the Allen School, which was formerly located on the site of our building.

Although the palette and extensive use of painted glass is similar to that of our other Heaton, Butler and Bayne windows, the Allen window's overall design is both more fluid and majestic. It is a special pleasure to view the window from West Newton Square on a dark evening when the sanctuary is illuminated.

Serpentino Stained Glass of Needham, Massachusetts carried out an extensive restoration of the window in 2000.

At the time of his death, Nathaniel Topliff Allen lived in an imposing Greek Revival home at the corner of Webster and Cherry Streets, which is still known as the "Allen House" house today.

Metcalf Window (8)
Person memorialized: Mira E. Metcalf (approx. 1865 - 1956)
Made by: Charles J. Connick Associates, Inc.
Dedicated: December 21, 1958
Donor: Purchased with the legacy left under the will of Mira E. Metcalf.

File notes from Charles J. Connick Associates, Inc., which have been placed with the Boston Public Library, state as follows:

This window is designed to symbolize the theme of Education.

At the center is an allegorical figure of Education holding an open book, with the globe of the world and the symbol of the atom near by.

At the left, Cyrus Pierce, founder and head of the Normal School system in Massachusetts, is represented teaching in the school at West Newton, which once stood on the site of the present Church. In the background is a model of that school.

Opposite, Horace Mann, founder of the Public School system in the State, is represented as Commissioner of Education, with one of his famous reports. The Bulfinch front of the State House is shown in the background, as it was in his day.

In the predellas are symbolic figures of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic -- a book for reading, pen and paper for writing, and the abacus for arithmetic.

In the principal tracery members are Angels with symbols of Education -- the lamp of knowledge, and again, the book.

After her graduation from the Framingham Normal School in approximately 1889, former member Mira E. Metcalf served a total of thirty-seven years as a teacher and principal in the Waltham public schools. During her many decades as a member of this Society she resided in West Newton at 80 Webster Park. Mira E. Metcalf died at the age of 91 in 1956, leaving most of her estate to this Society.

Peabody Window (9)
Person memorialized: Ellery Peabody, Jr. (1896-1918)
Made by: Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Dedicated: March 27, 1921
Donors: Mr. and Mrs. Ellery Peabody

At the window's dedication, Rev. Julian C. Jaynes described the central theme as "the Arming of Christian Knight." He explained, "[i]n days when knighthood was in flower, this was an elaborate and almost religious ceremony, involving consecration of weapons and solemn vows of the heart. This medieval custom the artist here illuminates with the scripture thought of putting on the whole armor of God."

The young knight appears in the central panel. At left, attendants prepare to present him with a protective helmet. To the right, an attendant offers a shield, while behind a figure holds aloft the white banner signifying knightly service. The predellas below illustrate the three virtues required of a worthy knight -- temperance, fortitude and prudence.

The Peabody window’s composition is particularly similar to that of the Tiffany window (6).

Ellery Peabody, Jr. was twenty-two years old when he died on a battlefield in France while serving as an army lieutenant in the First World War. He was baptized and reared in this Society. His parents, Ellery and Harriet (Avery) Peabody, who were married in this church in 1888, gave the window. At the date of the gift the family lived at 70 Temple Street.

Frost Window (10)
Persons memorialized: George (1829-1905) and Almira Frost (approx. 1824-1899)
Made by: Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Dedicated: January 17, 1909
Donors: George A. Frost, Mrs. George H. Phelps and Mrs. Leonard K. Storrs

Six parables of Jesus are portrayed in the Frost window. The three principal panels represent, from left to right, the "Prodigal Son," the "Sower," and the "Lost Sheep." The predellas below illustrate the parables known as "The Lost Coin;" "Tares;"and "The Talents."

Almira (Hutchins) Frost was born in Penobscot, Maine and George Frost was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. The Newton Directory listed his occupation as "merchant." They lived at 140 Highland Street. The names of the donors appear above as they were reported in The Newton Graphic. The Historic Preservation Committee believes that they are the children of George and Almira Frost.

Gane Window (11)
Persons memorialized: Henry Alfred Gane (1808 - 1897) and Emily Sophia Gane (1816 - 1892)
Made by: Harry E. Goodhue
Dedicated: May 3, 1908
Donors: Mrs. Jerome Jones

Three allegorical figures are presented in the Gane window. At its dedication, Rev. Julian C. Jaynes explained:

The artist has chosen three abstract qualities of the human soul and clothed them in concrete, visible form. The central figure represents Justice, holding the half-drawn sword of righteous power, while above are poised the golden scales that weigh every atom of good and evil, and beneath is the inscription, "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy house."

On the left is the figure of Mercy, with hands clasped in compassionate earnestness, as if in eager protest against all harsh judgment. Underneath is the emblem of the Red Cross Society, accepted throughout the civilized world as the symbol of the merciful spirit....

On the right of Justice stands the figure of Reason, in meditative attitude, holding in her hand a scroll from which she has been reading. Below is the lamp of truth, shining upon the book of wisdom....

In the words of Julian Jaynes, the lives of Henry Alfred Gane and Emily Sophia Gane "for many years were a part of the social fabric of this community." Emily Sophia Gane was "kindly disposed towards the needs of the community life." Henry Alfred Gane was a "man of upright life, of strict sense of justice and of such proverbial honor as to win the unquestioning confidence of his fellow men." According to his obituary, he was an expert on the culture of chrysanthemums and developed many varieties. The Ganes lived on Waltham Street at the corner of Derby Street. The donor's name is given as it appears in the records. Her own name has not been located.

Sources

Remarks by Rev. Julian C. Jaynes at the dedications of the Gane, Lovett, Allen and Peabody windows.

"Allen Memorial Window," The Woman's Journal, May 2, 1908.

Douglas Shand-Tucci, Boston Bohemia 1881-1900: Volume One of Ralph Adams Cram: Life and Architecture.

Virginia Chieffo Raguin, Glory in Glass; Stained Glass in the United States.

Lawrence Shaw Mayo, The First Unitarian Society in Newton, 1848-1923.

"History of Stained Glass," Stained Glass Quarterly, available at http://www.stainedglass.org.

Charles J. Connick, Adventures in Light and Color: An Introduction to the Stained Glass Craft.

E. Liddall Armitage, Stained Glass; history, technology and practice.

John Gilbert Lloyd, Stained Glass in America.

Connick Archives, Boston Public Library Fine Arts Department.

First Unitarian Society Monthly Bulletins dated February 1959 and September 1959.

Newton Graphic dated August 7, 1903; May 8, 1908; January 22, 1909; April 10, 1908June 24, 1910; May 19, 1911; and April 1, 1921.

Newton Circuit dated August 7, 1903; May 8, 1908;

The Newton Directory and Polk’s Newton City Directory for various years.

Middlesex Registry of Probate #335501, Estate of Mira E. Metcalf.

Death and marriage records from the City Clerk of Newton.