Robert Reid, a New York painter, beginning in 1901, created the windows in the church. The Great West window, in the chancel, was the first completed, in late 1904, and depicts the Nativity. This window is referred to as the Memorial Window, depicting motherhood, because Joseph is absent from the scene.
“The windows are unusually beautiful in several aspects. One is the quality of the faces: they are remarkable in the perfection of their execution and in the specificity of their features. The other outstanding feature of the windows is the chromatic theme, moving from night at the west end to brightest day at the east, with each of the clerestory windows growing progressively brighter.” (Julie L. Sloan, Stained Glass Consultant)
The Memorial Window was designed to be admired when sunlight from a sunset is absorbed through the various colors in the many different layers of glass. Reid was able to capture those spectacular and vibrant colors and use them to add a unique beauty to his own work. This places this group of windows in a category by themselves in the history of American stained glass.
