How the Windows Were Made

Charles Schweinfurth, the cathedral's architect, first designed a Romanesque-style parish house (south of the present cathedral), which was completed in 1895, five years after receiving his commission to build the cathedral. Although he then put together plans for a Romanesque-style cathedral, these ideas were contrary to the Vestry, which believed that a Gothic-style structure would better reflect the English/Anglican roots of the Trinity congregation. Schweinfurth then reworked his plans and designed the present Gothic-style building based on 15th Century English precedents (Wells, unpublished manuscript, 1994).

The cathedral's design was in keeping with contemporary trends in architecture in late 19th century America. At this time, the third and final phase of the Gothic revival was underway, led by the designs of Ralph Adams Cram. Unlike the previous Gothic revivals of the 19th century, churches built in this style in the early 20th century closely adhered to historical precedents and were built of high-quality materials. It was clear from their disagreement with Schweinfurth that important members of the clergy and laity of the Trinity community had strong opinions about ecclesiastical design and decoration. Moreover, because many of the congregants were wealthy, funds were available to purchase the best quality fixtures and furnishings they considered to be important for the cathedral. Just as the cathedral had to have an overall appropriate design, so did the accouterments have to be in keeping with the context of their Gothic-style building (Wells, 1987; 1990).

Paralleling the Gothic revival in architecture was a revival in the stained glass industry of the use of designs and technology used by medieval window-makers. This medieval revival in stained glass, like the 19th century Gothic revival in architecture, stressed the use of high quality materials and careful work. Many of the glass makers of the time went to Europe to study, learn from, and, eventually, in part imitate medieval glass making techniques. The windows of Chartres Cathedral, with their strong blues, reds, and yellows, many lead lines, and relatively small, intricately arranged glass pieces were particularly influential models (Lee et al. 1982).

Because medieval-revival windows were contextually appropriate for Gothic-revival churches, it is not surprising that the members of the Trinity community chose the Wilbur H. Burnham Studios to provide them with windows. By the 1930s, this studio was nationally prominent and noted for the excellence of its medieval-revival windows (Temme, 1982- 1983).

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