My latest project is digitizing the photographs and records of Calvary Baptist Church. Recently, I discovered the below document in a binder called “Picture History of Calvary Baptist Church of Darien, CT”. This document was written in November 1976, and I thought it would be a great addition to this blog!
In Memory of:
Legrande Whitney, 1820 – 1864
Orlando Whitney, 1841 – 1892
John Whitney, 1844 – 1896
This window is located on the east side of the chapel section of the church.
In Memory of Mary Frances Remington, 1866 – 1883.
This window is located on the east side of the chapel section of the church.
In loving memory of Reba Simons, wife of Rev. Harry Crossett, 1888 – 1913.
This window is located on the east side of the chapel section of the church.
In Memory of Wm. J. Humbert, 1873 – 1908
This window is located on the west side of the chapel section of the church.
The remainder of the images we will explore are on smaller, less visible windows in the church. There are no illustrations on these windows.
Today’s window is in the main sanctuary, set behind the piano.
Dedication:
In Memory: Chas G. Weber, 1862 – 1913
In Loving Memory of Jonathan David Stiner; July 6,1985 – February 8, 1996; Calvary Baptist Church; Darien, Connecticut. [Editor’s note: this plate was affixed to the windowsill during the window restoration project.]
In 1887, the United Methodist Church of Darien was destroyed by fire. The cornerstone of a new church building was laid later that year. You can still see the cornerstone today, on the left as you face the church.
The Methodists remained in the building on the Post Road until the late 1960s when they constructed a new building on Middlesex Avenue. Their old building was sold to Calvary Baptist Church, which continues to worship there today.
The architecture of the stained glass windows appear to be Gothic Revival style, in the shape of pointed arches. The larger windows are actually a set of three windows: two large windows side by side, topped with a small window that creates its “point”:
I strongly believe this type of architecture calls to mind the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). You can even see the smaller examples of the Trinity in the fleur-de-lis that repeat throughout most of the windows.
The windows have stood the test of time for the most part. In the mid-1990s, Calvary Baptist had the windows professionally restored, re-leaded and protected. As a result, the church is less drafty and the windows will continue to last for generations to come.
In the posts to come, we will be looking closely at each window and the people who are part of its history.
Calvary Heritage Windows 