Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Starkweather Chapel, Highland Cemetery

Studio Name: Tiffany Studios

City: Ypsilanti

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Date of Window: 1889

Subject/Title of Window: John D. Pierce Memorial

Brief Description of Subject: This aisle window was commissioned by Mary Ann Starkweather to memorialize John D. Pierce. He obtained the degree of Doctor of Divinity and was ordained as a minister of the Congregational Church. He first served as a missionary in the Michigan Territory. John Pierce is best known for his organization of a public school system for the territory in preparation for statehood. Upon statehood, he served as its first Superintendent of Education. He would later buy a farm outside of Ypsilanti. He lived there for thirty years before health issues forced him to live with his daughter in Massechusitts. He died there in 1882.
 
The scene at the top of this window features a lyre surrounded by stars and resting on a cloud. Framing the scene are 13 putti. The scene likely represents heaven. In Greek mythology the renowned player of the lyre was Orpheus. When he was killed, Zeus had the lyre sent to the stars of heaven, creating the constellation Lyra. The cloud symbolizes the presence of God --- Exodus 16:19, "the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud."
 
Found in the lower portion of the window is the inscription surrounded by what appears to be an ornamental pattern using fruit or vegetable like plants which extends up to the upper portion of the window.

Inscriptions: In Memory of John D. Pierce
D. D. 1800 1882


Condition of Window: Good

Height: 6'5"

Width: 3'6"

Type of Glass and Technique: Opalescent Glass, Lead Came

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

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