The stained glass windows in St. Paul's Church are the work of two American craftsmen: Henry Lee Willett of Philadelphia and Wilbur Herbert Burnham of Boston. These windows depict the history of the Holy Communion, the history of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the history of the Book of Common Prayer, and the history of the English translation of the Holy Bible.
On April 6, 1921, a disastrous fire of unknown origin destroyed the interior of the church, leaving only the 1775 walls and the tower. Lost were all of the memorial windows, and many priceless relics. Within a year after the fire, the church was restored generally in accordance with the interior arrangement existing before the fire. The interior window arrangement at the time of the fire was retained in the 1922 restoration. While stained glass was early considered for the apsidal chancel windows, it was the Nave which first saw its installation in the inter-war period.
The first stained glass window was installed in the Nave of the newly restored church and dedicated May 29, 1926. Made by Towell and Company, Whiteshire, London, England, it was the gift of Miss Bertha Chinn. The new window memorialized the three daughters of Robert Serrell Wood who had formed the nucleus of the volunteer choir of Rock Creek Church during the Civil War and for a number of years afterward. (This window is currently of the East side of the Narthex.) A very beautiful window, it consists of detailed painting over much of its surface. St. Cecelia, depicted as the patroness of music is playing an organ surrounded by a choir.
The Girls' Friendly Society (a social service organization originally imported from England) had a very active chapter at Rock Creek for a number of years, and in 1931 this group donated a window to the church. Made by Clement Heaton of West Nyack, New York, the Girls' Friendly Window was installed in the Nave and dedicated October 25, 1931. (This window may now be seen on the west side of the Narthex.) The principal feature of the window is the Girls' Friendly Emblem.
In April 1937, another replacement stained glass window was installed in the Nave where it remains. The central West window features St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Given by Miss Mab Bigelow of Silver Spring, MD, it was presented to replace a similar window originally given in 1916 and destroyed in the 1921 fire. This window, memorializing both parents was made in the studios of Charles J. Connick, Boston.
The Sanctuary windows were installed in 1937 by Henry Lee Wilett Studios of Philadelphia and were dedicated on Easter Sunday of that year. The Nave windows were gradually installed over the twenty year period from 1943-1963 and the work of Wilbur Herbert Burnham of Boston whose windows may also be seen in Washington Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Riverside Chapel in New York City. Rock Creek Parish is indebted to the late Rev. Charles W. Wood, Rector from 1942-1950, for the master concept of these windows.
Sanctuary Windows in memory of the Rev. Joseph Fletcher, Rector 1919-1926
Left: This window is descriptive of Old Testament sacrificial offerings.
The top scene shows Abraham upon returning from successful conquest of the Amorites kneeling before Melchizadek.
Middle scene depicts Abraham and his son Isaac on the altar with the angel showing him the lamb caught in the thicket.
Bottom scene shows Abel offering a more acceptable sacrafice to God.
Left: In this window we pass to the Holy Eucharist of the New Testament.
Top: Jesus surrounded by His disciples in the Upper Room.
Middle scene: The Apostle Paul describes the benefits of the continued remembrance of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
Bottom scene - the first celebration in America of the Holy Communion by the Rev. Robert Hunt following the arrival of the settlers at Jamestown.
Nave Windows
First East window in memory of Louisa Serpell Deakins and William Franceis Deakins
The top medallion depicts Sir Francis Drake holding the first service of the Church in California in the year 1579. The central medallion depicts the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bray holding the open Bible. Dr. Bray was instrumental in the founding the great missionary society in England and aided in the establishment of over forty of the first libraries in this country. The lower medallion, entitled the Act of Establishment 1692, depicts the State House at St. Mary's City, Maryland. The base of the medallion shows the building of the State House.
Second East window in memory of Conrad Becker and Olivia Mary Deakins Becker.
The medallion at the top of this window, beneath the symbol of the Holy Spirit depicts the Rev. John Frazier (first recognized minister of St. Paul's) preaching in the East Branch Hundred in the year 1712. The central medallion is the figure of George Washington. The lower medallion depicts the Rev. John Stuart, missionary to the Mohawk Indians during the 1770's.
Third East window in memory of The Rev. James Buck, D.D., Rectory 1852-1897
The uppermost medallion depicts the Rev. Jacob Duche, Rector Christ Church Philadelphia serving as first Chaplain of the Continental Congress. The central medallion contains the figure of the Rt. Rev. Samuel Seabury of Connecticut, the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America. In the bottom medallion we see the actual consecration of Bishop Seabury by Bishops Kilgour, Petrie and Skinner of the Church of England in Scotland.
First South Window in honor of those from this parish in the service of their country in WWII.
The top medallion pays tribute to the role of the Church in meeting the educational needs of the Colonies. Also shown is the great seal of the United States along with those of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The central medallion shows William White of Pennsylvania who was consecrated Bishop by the Archbisoh of Canterbury in 1787. Bishop White played a leading role in the first General Convention of 1789. The lower medallion shows Christ Church in Philadelphia, the scene of the First General Convention of the Episcopal Church in America.
Second South window
The upper medallion represents the consecration of Thomas John Claggett as Bishop of Maryland on September 17, 1792. This was the first consecration of a bishop in this Country. The central medallion depicts Bishops John Henry Hobard of New York and Alexander Viets Griswold of the Eastern Diocese (including most of New England) who were consecrated in 1811. Symbols of the four Gospels frame the corners of this portion of the window. In the lower medallion is the figure of Robert E. Lee.
Third South window in memory of Charles Willis Wood, Sr. and Frances Austin Wood (parents of the Reverend Charles W. Wood, Rector 1942-1950).
The top medallion portrays the first building of the General Theological Seminary, founded in New York City in 1819. Two small medallions below symbolize the part played by women of the Church in the religious training and education of children. The central medallion commemorates Bishop Jackson Kemper who was consecrated in 1835 as our first Missionary Bishop. Right below are two small medallions recognizing the establishment of monastic orders and sisterhoods in the middle 19th century. The lower medallion represents Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky. He translated the Bible into Chinese and became Bishop of Shanghai in 1874.
Fourth South window in memory of those departed named in the Book of Remembrance.
This window, known as the Bible Window, portrays the history of the translation of the Holy Scriptures into English. The upper medallion depicts John Wyclif(fe) who in 1382 completed the first complete translation of the Bible into English. The center medallion shows King James I of England, under whose sponsorship between 1604-1611, a committee of scholards produced the majestically literary King James Version of the Bible. The bottom panel represents the contributions of biblical scholars from the ancient past down to the present day.
Third West window in memory of Those departed names in The Book of Remembrance
This is the Prayer Book Window, tracing the history of the Book of Common Prayer.
The upper third of the window shows Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and an associate working on the translation into English of the Latin missals and breviaries. The large center section portrays the Rev. Dr. William Smith of Maryland, who was responsible for the first American version of the Book of Common Prayer, 1789. The bottom third of the window depicts the Rev. Dr. William R. Huntington, Rector of Grace Church, New York City, and the Rt. Rev. Edward L. Parson, Bishop California, who as liturgical scholars and masters of the parliamentary process, were the prime movers in the revisions of the Prayer Book in 1892 and 1928, respectively. At the very bottom we see the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, Alpha and Omega.
Second West window in memory of Otis Bigelow and Mary Raymond Arms Bigelow
This window is a replacement for a similar window originally dedicated in 1916 and destroyed in the fire of 1921. The figure is of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. The princess was married to Louis Landgrave of Thuringia in 1221. Her husban fell ill and died while on a crusade to the Holy Land in 1227. Thuringia (a part of Germany)had become oppressed with famine and pestilence. Elizabeth had hospitals built and supplied the people with money, clothing and food, she wandering about in humble dress while engaged in relief activities. The remainder of her days was chiefly spent in religious devotions. She was canonized in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX.
First West window in memory of Florence Hall Mann
The medallion at the top depicts the College of Preachers at Washington Cathedral. This unique institution of our Church is devoted to the further training of our clergy with stress on the improvement of content and technique in the preaching of God's Word. The principal figure of this window is that of the Rt. Rev. Charles Henry Brent, the first Missionary Bishop of the Philippine Islands. Thanks to Brent's initiative came the Opium Conference at Shanghai in 1909 over which he presided. In 1918, Bishop Brent was commissioned as Senior Headquarters Chaplain of the American Expeditionary Forces in Eurpoe under General John J. Pershing. The lower medallion symbolizes the official position of our Church for union with other branches of Christendom, as expressed in the Lambeth Quadrilateral - a four point set of principles adopted at the Lambeth Conference of 1888. These points were acceptance of: (1) the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God; (2) the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds as the rule of faith; (3) the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist; and (4) the Episcopate as the keystone of governmental unity.
The Tower window in memory of Emma Victoria Smeltzer.
This window symbolized Christ the King, and is the culmination of the historic series. The majest figure of Christ with the crown upon His Head, the Orb of Deity in His left hand, with His right hand raised in benediction is silhouetted against a Heavenly blue background interspersed with golden crosses. At the bottom the words, "Go ye into all the world" is the final message to Christians leaving the Church.
All of this information about the windows of St. Paul's Church is taken verbatim from a brochure condensed from a detailed study done in 1977 by Stokes L. Sharp, former Organist, parishioner, Vestry member, and historian of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish.
