A Tour of the Stained Glass Windows of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Henderson, KY

Among the greatest earthly treasures of St. Paul's Episcopal Church are its beautiful stained glass windows which have been donated over the years. The stained glass windows have served many purposes in the church over the years and continue in these capacities today; as screens to block the distractions of the outside world, as objects of meditation, as teaching tools to illustrate lessons from scripture and the lives of the saints who have gone before us. The windows are objects of beauty created for the glory of God.

The current church building, completed in 1859, is a Pointed Gothic structure in the Old English style. The building of the first organ of the church, and the first in Henderson, was begun that year as well. A gift of Mrs. Mary H. Starling and Mr. E. L. Starling, it was made by the Simmons and Wilcox Company of Boston, Massachusetts. In 1868 a choir loft gallery was added at the back of the church, and in 1890 the stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of St. Paul were installed over the altar. In addition to these windows, other windows in the church were given as memorials over many years.

In 1907 several structural changes to the church were begun. A new organ was donated with the request that it be placed in the chancel. The choir loft was removed and a new choir chancel constructed for the new instrument. At this time the windows at the west end of the nave were installed in the place of the choir loft and improvements were made to the steeple and rear gable of the church. The newest windows in the church date from the 1920s.

Map of the Windows

After you have completed your tour of our windows, please add an entry to the guest book, which is located at the bottom of this page.

Click on each window to see a larger, more detailed view.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

Acts chap XVII ver XXIV

To the Glory of God
and in Memory of
Alexander B and
Juliana Barret.
A.D. 1889

In the left light (window), St. Paul is depicted at the court of Agripa. In the middle light he is shown preaching the word to the people of Athens in front of the Parthenon. At the right his conversion experience on the road to Damascus is illustrated.

This window, made by Heaton, Butler & Bayne, London, was donated to St. Paul's by Mrs. Theodore K. Gibbs, as a memorial to her parents.

Paul's account of his experience in Athens. Acts 17

To the Glory of God
and in Loving Memory of
William and Susan F Soaper

The Madonna and Child are depicted against a backdrop of Easter lilies. In the lower portion of the window is found an earthly crown encircled by a crown of thorns.

In Memoriam

Coll. H Lyne

Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord
yea saith the Spirit
that they may rest from their labors,
and their works follow them.

This window was installed prior to 1890.

In Loving Memory of
Sophie Turner Soaper

This window was installed c. 1890.

In Loving Memory of
Father and Mother,
George and Virginia H. Lyne

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters;
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 23

The light on the left depicts a Christian mother and her children. The middle light depicts St. Agnes, a young girl martyred for her faith in the fourth century. The right light illustrates the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child and John the Baptist. 

The three tracery panels above depict the angels watching over our services at St. Paul's.

The central St. Agnes window was made by Heaton, Butler & Bayne, London, and is signed on the bottom right hand side.

Left Window

In memory of our mother, Susan Rankin Getz

Aug 30, 1877
Sept 25, 1910

Middle Window

Saint Agnes

To the Glory of God
& in loving memory of Sue Barret Rankin
 
Dec 25th, 1819
Nov 30th, 1904

Right Window

In memory of my mother, Susan Daniel Barret

Oct 10, 1816
Feb 21, 1851

In the early years of St. Paul's the choir loft, which also housed the church's first pipe organ, was in this location. In 1907 Mrs. Kate Caruthers donated a new pipe organ to be placed in the chancel, and in 1916 the choir loft was removed. To replace the three small windows in this location at that time, two memorial windows were moved from the Green Street side of the church and the Susan Rankin Getz window was commissioned and installed in the present form in 1917.

To the Glory of God
and in Loving Memory of
James E. Rankin

March 17, 1847 May 14, 1941

In this window we see the Samaritan tending to the man's wounds while the priest and the Levite travel on their way without concern.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

This window was made by the Black, Starr, Gorham Company of NY.

To the Glory of God
and in loving memory of
Mary Stewart Starling

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

Eight days later, his desciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

John 20:24-29

 

To the Glory of God
and in Memory of
Eliza Frances Walker

Born March 3rd 1797
Died Decbr. 29th 1885.

Well done,
thou good and faithful servant.

When the Church was built, funds were short and the Vestry erected a modest wooden picket fence. The existing wrought iron fence was erected after one devoted parishioner, Eliza Frances Walker, presented her flat silverware to the Vestry to be used to finance a new fence. This window is dedicated in memorial to her.

In Memory of
Lury F Sneed.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also and praiseth her.

Saint John

In memory of
Richard H. Cunningham

The "Beloved Apostle" is depicted holding his gospel in one hand and a chalice and serpent in the other. The chalice refers the legends that John was given a poisoned chalice in an attempt on his life. In one version of the story it is said that the poison fled away in the form of a serpent, while in another version John sees a vision of the serpent in the chalice and does not drink from it.

This window was made by the Gorham Company of NY.

To the Glory of God
and in memory of
Casper Frederick Artes

For 26 years organist of this church.
He did justly, loved mercy
and walked humbly with his God.

Funds for this memorial window were raised by subscription after Professor Artes' death in November of 1886.

The Old Music Master:
A Small-Town Christmas Memory

Casper Friedrich Artes: A Biography

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His exceeding greatness!
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with lute and harp!
Praise Him with timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with strings and pipe!
Praise Him with sounding cymbals;
Praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150

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