The Stained-Glass Windows at St. Margaret's

St. Margaret’s is fortunate to have several beautiful stained-glass windows. Most notably, three designed and executed by the famous Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios. We invite you to enjoy this virtual tour of our windows, and hope that you will also come by in person to experience their beauty and enjoy our fellowship.

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    1. "Abide with Us, Jesus on the Road to Emmaus"

    This window is located over the High Altar. In the image, Cleopas and an unnamed companion encounter the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus. “Abide with us,” they ask the unrecognized stranger, “for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” The story is told by Luke, chapter 24, verses 18 to 35. A unique feature of this window is found in the face of Christ. Without back lighting from the sun, the features of the face fade and are unrecognizable, but with the light of day, the features appear, making the identity of the “stranger” apparent. It was designed by Tiffany Studios, and given by an anonymous donor, who has subsequently been identified as Clarence F. Norment, Sr.
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    2. Saint Paul

    Located on the west side of the High Altar, this window acknowledges the tradition that says St. Paul suffered martyrdom by the sword in Rome. He holds the sword of his martyrdom in his right hand, and a book of his epistles cradled in his left. The window was probably designed by the Willet Studios of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was given in memory of Captain Edward John Dorn, USN (1854-1937), sometime Vestryman and Junior Warden of St. Margaret’s Parish.
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    3. Saint Michael the Archangel

    Located on the east side of the High Altar opposite the St. Paul window, the choice of St. Michael the Archangel is intimately connected to the parish member in who’s memory the window is dedicated. In the Old Testament, St. Michael is represented as the helper of the chosen people of God. In Revelation 12:7-9, Michael leads an army of angels to defeat the dragon: “And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought his angels, and prevaileth not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

    Michael has often been regarded as the helper of Christian armies against the heathen, and as a protector of individual Christians against evil, especially at the hour of death. His is shown here in armor with sword and shield, trampling the dragon underfoot. St. Michael is fittingly invoked in memory of a naval aviator, Green Clay Goodloe (1914-1946), who lost his life while on a long-range reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of the Malaya Peninsula. His decorations are depicted in the window: the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two stars, and the Air Medal with three stars. Lt. Commander (USN) Goodloe’s mother, Marian C. Goodloe, presented the window in memory of her son. It was designed and executed by the Willet Studios of Philadelphia.
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    4. John Baptising Jesus

    Located in what was originally the Baptistry and today is the Chapel of St. Margaret's, this window depicts the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by his cousin, John. "And when Jesus had been baptised, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.'" Matthew 3:16-17. Although very like the Tiffany windows that occupy the other monumental spaces in the church, this window was designed by the R. N. Spiers & Sons Studio of New York, New York. It was given to the parish by Mary Herbert Wastin Roberts in memory of her mother, Mary Louise Roberts (1890 - 1915).
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    5. "Hinder Not the Little Children"

    Located in the East Transept of the church, this window was until recently mistaken as only a scene from the Sermon on the Mount. But thanks to the scholarly work of parish member, Jonathan F. Walz, it has been correctly linked to Jesus' admonition to the disciples to "Let the children alone, do not stop them from coming to me: the Realm of heaven belongs to such as these." from Matthew 19, and now appears to be based on a confluence of the two events. It was designed by the Tiffany Studios of New York, New York. It was given to the parish in memory of Alexander Thomas Hensey (1862 - 1920), sometime vestryman and Senior Warden of St Margaret's Parish.
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    6. Head of the Youthful Christ

    Located above the door leading to the Connecticut Ave. garden in the front of the church, this window was given in the memory of Philip McNeale. He died at a young age as the result of his attempt to save a friend from a fire at a boys' school. The studio which designed and executed this window, as well as the name of the donator, are unknown.
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    7. St. Francis

    Located on the north wall of the East Transept, this window illustrates St. Francis' sermon to the birds. In the lower center panel of the window the words, "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace" are depicted. It was given in the memory of Grace Bryn by Emma L. Bandel, and was designed and executed by the Studios of George L. Payne of Paterson, New Jersey.
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    8. The Sower

    Located in the West Transept of the church, this window represents the parable of the sower of seeds from the thirteenth chapter of Matthew.

    "A sower went out to sow, and as he sowed some seeds fell on the road and the birds came and ate them up. Some other seeds fell on stony soil, where they had not much earth, and shot up at once because they had no depth of soil; but when the sun rose they were scorched and withered away, because they had no root. Some other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. Some other seeds fell on good soil and bore a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirtyfold. He who has an ear, let him listen to this."

    The window is our third designed by Tiffany Studios. It employs a unique technique of layering flecks of broken glass in the foliage to create a greater illusion of depth called confetti glass. It was given in memory of Professor Beverly Randolph Mason, principal of the then nearby Gunston Hall School and a vestry member at St. Margaret's by the school's faculty and students.
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    9. St. Augustine of Canterbury

    Located on the east wall of the sanctuary, the St. Augustine of Canterbury window depicts the first Archbishop of Canterbury surrounded by significant figures in English Christianity: St. George, patron saint of England; St. Alban, the first English martyr; Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and the author of the first Book of Common Prayer; and St. Margaret of Scotland (upper righthand corner), patron of our parish. This window was designed and executed by the Willet Studios of Philadelphia.
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    10. Women of Action

    Located on the East wall of the church, this window celebrates five women of faith. In the center, Mary Magdalene kneels before Christ. They are surrounded by St. Hilda, abbess of Whitby; Catherine of Seina; Clara Barton; and Martha of Bethany, sister of both Mary and Lazarus. The window was given in memory of Elisabeth Houghton (1909 - 1974), the first female warden (Jr.) member of the vestry of St. Margarets. It was designed and executed by the Willet Studios of Philadelphia.
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    11. Bishops of Washington

    Located in the middle panel of the East wall of the sanctuary, this window depicts St. Peter kneeling before Jesus who is giving him a shepherd's crook, symbolic of Christ's command to "Feed my Sheep." And surrounding the two are four bishops of the diocese of Washington: Henry Saterlee, Alfred Harding, James Freeman, and Angus Dun. In giving permission for the inclusion of Bishop Dun's image in the window, his widow replied, "Angus Dun would gladly be included as a lesser figure if you picture him in his favorite posture, in confirmation with one hand on a black head and one hand on a white, saying the same prayer for both equally. He considered his greatest achievement as a Diocesan [to be] his persuasion of the Cathedral chapter to open its three schools to black applicants well before the Supreme Court decision."
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    12. Physicians

    Located on the East wall of the sanctuary, this window depicts the story of the Good Samaritan helping the robber's victim while priest and Levite pass by. Shown in the four corners are: St. Luke, the physician; a medieval Knight Hospitaller; William Wilberforce (not a physician) a politician and philanthropist who worked tirelessly for the abolition of slavery; and Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (1865 - 1940), an English physician and missionary to Labrador, he is shown wearing skis. Grenfell fitted out the first hospital ship to serve fishermen on the North Sea, built hospitals, established cooperative stores, and introduced the concept of child welfare. The choices clearly reflect the person in whose memory the window was given, Montgomery Blair, physician and vestry member of St. Margaret's. It was designed and executed by the Willet Studios of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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    13. Christ and the Children

    Located on the east wall of the sanctuary, this set of three windows depict again the passage from Matthew 19, where Christ admonishes the disciples not to keep the children away from him. It was designed and executed by the Willet Studio of Philadelphia. It was dedicated to the memory of the Kelton sisters and their mother: Josephine Parmley Kelton (1852 - 1950), Josephine Campbell Kelton (1870 - 1926), Mary Adelaide Kelton (1875 - 1963), and Anna Kelton Wiley (1877 - 1964).
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    14. Celtic Cross

    Located above the main entrance of the Connecticut Avenue doors, this window is St. Margaret's newest. It is dedicated to the memory of longtime rector Malcolm Marshall (rectorship 1948 - 1978). The window was designed by Brenda Belfield, a local artist whose studio is in the Torpedo Factory of Alexandria, Virginia. The window features a Celtic Cross, which combines Marlcolm Marshalls own Welsh/Scottish ancestry; the ethnicity of our patron saint, Margaret, Queen of Scotland; and the Scottish origins of the American Episcopal Church. The rest of the window is best summed up by Malcolm's widow, Ellen Marshall, "[It] represents our various spiritual journeys--paths leading into the church for renewal and strength and welcome to all those in need--and paths that go out into the world to share our faith and love and service."

The Mosaics

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    15. The Nativity
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    16. Passion

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