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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: 5 (gothic arched, 2 vertical sections)

Date of Window: 1889

Subject/Title of Window: Wead Memorial Window

Brief Description of Subject: This aisle window was commissioned by Mary Ann Starkweather to memorialize Ira M. Wead. He obtained the degree of Doctor of Divinity and served as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti from 1830 to 1847. He left to serve as the secretary of the American Board of Foreign Missions in Chicago. Upon retirement he returned to Ypsilanti and is buried at the Highland Cemetery.
 
The scene at the top of this aisle window is from Luke's version of the Nativity. An angel of the Lord appears to shepherds in the field and tell them of the good news of the birth of the Savior, "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, 'Gloria in excelsis Deo' (Glory to God in the Highest Luke 2:13). The 13 putti could be viewed as the heavenly hosts praising God. The cross, a symbol of Christ, and the inscription from Luke are placed in a cloud (a symbol of the presence of God).
 
Found In the lower portion of the window is the memorial inscription surrounded by a floral pattern.
 
Through the years the windows in the Chapel have suffered damages. As a temporary fix, the damaged areas were replaced with available glass. The Cemetery is hoping to have the windows in the Chapel restored at some future date.

Inscriptions: Gloria In Excelsis Deo
In Memory of Ira M. Weed [sic] D.D.
And Caroline His Wife
1804 1871


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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