THE H ERALD VOLUME IV, N UMBER 1 WINTER /S PRING 2010 ‘Angel at the OPEN Tomb’ Window EXAMINED Our examination of the windows in the Magdalene went to visit the tomb of the sanctuary continues with a look at the crucified Christ. Upon discovering that Tiffany window located on the south the stone had been rolled away from the side in the second bay from the rear. opening of the tomb, the women were Known as “The Angel at the Open greeted by an angel who said “Fear not Tomb,” it depicts the seminal moment ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, who in the history of Christianity when was crucified. He is not here: for He is Christ’s resurrection is first revealed to risen, as He said.” (Matthew 28:5) his followers. The overall scene depicts the angel The window is a memorial to Charles figure at left and the open tomb at right. H. Fargo, and was given by his three The landscape is lush, with a field of sons. Fargo was born in Tyringham, lilies in the foreground and hills beyond. Mass., in 1824 and came to Chicago in From an artistic standpoint, the window 1856 where he established himself in contains fine examples of the various the boot and shoe manufacturing types of glass developed by Tiffany. business. Although he had virtually no The angel figure displays milky white resources when first arriving in drapery glass and beautifully executed Chicago, he built up a house which feather glass, with fine ridges giving a eventually did a business of more than three-dimensional quality. The field of $1.5 million per year. His family Easter lilies demonstrates the use of consisted of sons Charles, Frank, and plated glass. Here the main outline of Edward, who were all connected with the blooms is done with visible caming, him in the business. His wife Evaline whereas the details of the individual died in 1871 and he never remarried. petals are delineated with caming in a In later years, he lived with his son Photo courtesy Martin Cheung. back layer of glass. Although Charles, who moved to 1840 S. The design of that first window remains considerably darkened over the years, Calumet Avenue in 1891. Late that unknown, although it was set within the the window deserves a close inspection year, Fargo contracted pneumonia and original wood tracery of the window when visiting the balcony, where its traveled to Leesburg, Fla., to opening as designed by James Renwick, true beauty is revealed. recuperate. It was there that he died on indicating that it was somewhat March 29, 1892. He was interred at different from what is seen today. The MISSION S TATEMENT Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, and current window was installed in late THE MISSION OF F RIENDS OF H ISTORIC left an estate valued at $600,000 (more 1901 along with replacement memorials SECOND C HURCH IS TO PRESERVE AND than $16.5 million in today’s dollars). for the Balcoms and Kelloggs. All three RESTORE THE INTERNATIONALLY of these windows bear a distinctive Within a year or two of their father’s RECOGNIZED ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF matching border with laurel-topped passing, Fargo’s three sons CHICAGO 'S LANDMARK S ECOND commissioned Tiffany Glass Co. to crosses set to either side of the main PRESBYTERIAN C HURCH AND TO EDUCATE design a window in his memory. That panel. A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE ABOUT ITS window was consumed in the fire that The scene depicted represents Easter HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE . destroyed the sanctuary in March 1900. morning when Mary and Mary PAGE 2 THE H ERALD SUPPORT THE WHO WAS CAROLINE CATON WILLIAMS? FONT CLEANING If you have ever looked the director and president of Franklin F. Spencer. (The closely at the baptismal font the Chicago Orphan Asylum, window was reinstalled at Friends has been at Second Presbyterian, you where he served with his Second in 1927). working with the might have noticed the name good friend and fellow Young Caroline Caton Chicago Conservation Caroline Caton Williams, Second Presbyterian member Williams died on May 25, Center (CCC) to along with the dates 1875- and trustee John Crerar. 1876 and was interred at determine the best way 1876, inscribed in the sash Graceland Cemetery in to clean the iconic that encircles the bundle of Chicago until 1899, when her baptismal font (See delicately carved lilies and body was exhumed and story at right.). The lilies-of-the-valley. You relocated to the Williams font is covered with a might then have wondered, family plot at River Street thick layer of particulate “Who was Caroline Caton Cemetery in Woodstock, dirt and grime, with Williams and what was her tie Vt. As a memorial to soiling embedded within to the church?” Caroline, the family had the the porous and textured Caroline was the infant font carved in Italy from a surface of the limestone. daughter of Norman single piece of limestone, and It is extremely fragile Williams, a prominent installed in the church and easily damaged, Chicago attorney originally sometime between 1876 and containing many large from Vermont, and Caroline 1888. The font appears in and small breaks, so Caton, daughter of John Dean pre-1900 fire photographs, moving it off-site is not Caton, Chief Justice of the Photo courtesy Martin Cheung. but it is unclear whether the desirable. Through test Supreme Court of Caroline Caton Williams was existing font is the original or cleaning of a 6- x 8-inch Illinois. Norman Williams a society lady and sister-in- if it was destroyed in the back section, was active in the formation of law to Delia Caton, who fire. A 1901 entry in the conservator Gabrielle the Pullman Palace Car Co., became the second Mrs. Trustees’ Minutes indicates a Tieu was able to achieve the Western Electric Co., and Marshall Field and who gave $300 payment to contractor satisfactory results by a the Chicago Telephone Co., the Christ Blessing the Little F. A. Purdy for “baptismal combination of dry and periodically serving as a board Children memorial window to font,” but whether that was aqueous techniques, a member and legal First Presbyterian in honor of for repairs or replacement method that can be used advisor. He was, for a time, her parents, Mr. & Mrs. remains uncertain. right in the church sanctuary. The cleaning cost is estimated to be between $7,676 and DOCENT TRAINING SESSIONS SCHEDULED $9,175. Tours of the stunning art and architecture of Second Presbyterian Church are vital to the mission Please consider a gift of Friends of Historic Second Church to “educate a worldwide audience about its historical and today to the Mary Gene cultural significance.” The backbone of the tour program is the well-informed corps of docents Yee (nee Moy) who graciously share their time and knowledge with thousands of tour guests. A new round of Memorial Fund to clean docent training is scheduled for late spring with 1½ hour sessions beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the and preserve one of the following Wednesday evenings: April 28th, May 5th, May 12th and May 19th. church’s most beloved A partial list of training topics includes the Arts and Crafts movement, the stained glass windows objects. The fund was (both American and English), the murals, Gothic revival architecture, architects James Renwick established in 2009 by and Howard Van Doren Shaw, artists Frederic Clay Bartlett and Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Judy and William Lussie preservation philosophy and techniques. Trainees will also learn about and see the preservation to honor Judy’s mother progress already accomplished at the church. Friends invites your participation in the docent Mary Gene Yee who training. There is a $10 materials fee for all participants. Those interested in learning about art was a member of the and architecture but who do not wish to become docents are also invited to enroll. Please church for many years. complete the application form on the newsletter insert and return as indicated on the form. VOLUME IV, N UMBER 1 PAGE 3 Friends opens Office FRIENDS OF H ISTORIC Tour Schedule SECOND C HURCH January through June GRATEFULLY During the week between Christmas and New Years, ACKNOWLEDGES THE Public tours of Second Friends Board members and supporters spent many hours FOLLOWING Presbyterian Church are given at readying the third floor Arts and Crafts room of the MEMBERSHIPS AND church for use as an office for Friends’ new Historic GIFTS RECEIVED F ROM the following times: SEPT . 15 THROUGH Preservation Manager. Led by Board President Don DEC . 31, 2009: First and third Saturday of the West, a volunteer crew scraped, spackled, repaired month from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Burne-Jones Circle ($1,000 - windows, scrubbed walls and floors and then painted the $2,499): Cost $5 room. Thanks to Rowena Rennie, Kim McNeece, Barbara Howard & Jane Tiffen Every Sunday after church at 12:15 Crawford, Ruth Sharpe, and Gary Schuetz for all their p.m. Free. hard work. With a portion of the funds received from the Shaw Circle ($500 - $999): Service Club of Chicago in 2009, Friends was able to Luann Elvey Every Wednesday from 2 p.m. – 4 purchase the furniture, laptop and printer to equip the Maria Wicks p.m. Free. office. Friends extends our thanks yet again to the Service Club. Bartlett Circle ($250 - $499): Mr. & Mrs. John Berry Robert Schrade Second Presbyterian Goes to Paris Arts and Crafts Circle ($100 - Imagine the surprise of Friends’ members David and Lois Rakov when they visited the Tiffany $249): exhibit at the Musee du Luxembourg in Paris.