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  1670 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724  ·   (516) 692-6368  ·   Give

St. John's Episcopal Church
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Stained Glass

by Walter D. Kolos, Church Historian

The stained glass windows at St. John's Church are perhaps the most famous of the parish's many treasures. Starting in the late nineteenth century, stained glass windows began to appear in the church, and by the turn of the twentieth century there was a full complement of leaded glass work in place.

The influences of the Oxford Movement which began in the 1830s didn't arrive at St. John's until the 1860s. Initially, our colonial style church was "gothicized," primarily with a liturgical floor plan (chancel and center aisle arrangement ), and gothic style furniture. By the 1870s, stained glass windows started to appear. The first windows were attributed to the firm of Sharp and Steele of New York. Known as glass stainers, they had a factory on lower Sixth Avenue, and were quite prolific in the period between 1850 and 1897.

The windows on the west side of the nave, and at the chancel, are believed to be from this manufacturer. The rich colors, realistic renderings and ornate canopies are typical of Sharp and Steele's glass work. Metal and paint appliqués (some of them water soluble) were also employed. Their work was very popular during this period, and some churches were completely outfitted by "Sharp" windows.

It was this style and process of glass making that Louis Comfort Tiffany opposed. He had introduced a new style of stained glass which employed richly textured layers of glass. The folds in fabrics and the details of vegetation were achieved with "flowing" glass. His renowned "opalescence" technique was all the rage in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Tiffany lived in the community, building his famous "Laurelton Hall" just to the north of the church in Laurel Hollow. Some of his descendants are members of St. John's today.

The windows have undergone a tremendous amount of restoration work in recent years, and the work is not over (and will never be). They are not only visually beautiful, but also an integral part of our faith community's legacy.

Stained Glass


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Welcome to St. John's Calendar Clergy and Staff Vestry Leadership Latest Posts Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Church Newsletter Our History Stained Glass

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Sermons

  • Jan 29 | The Rev. Dr. Craig Townsend
    Doing research is doing justice
  • Jan 15 | The Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach
    Hey, Jeff! Did you see that?
  • Jan 8 | The Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach
    CPR, Dr. Jim, Barry Gibb, and your baptism
  • Dec 25 | The Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach
    Christmas Surprise at the Clara Barton Rest Area
  • Dec 11 | The Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach
    What do you see? What do you hear?

© St. John's Episcopal Church
1670 Route 25A, Post Office Box 266
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
(516) 692-6368

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Service Times

SUNDAY SERVICES

  • 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
  • 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist or Morning Prayer

We are also live streaming our worship here.


Location

St. John's Episcopal Church
1670 Route 25A
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724

Contact Us
(516) 692-6368

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Welcome to St. John's Episcopal Church! We invite all to join us at any of our worship services, and it is our hope that you will find a spiritual home here.

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St. John's Episcopal Church was the first religious institution to be established in Cold Spring Harbor. The first Episcopalian services were held in the little 18th century school house just above the site of the present church. The very first Vestry minutes, written in fine script on September 4, 1831, lists the founders who pledged $2,000 to build a new church.

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“If you are seeking after God, together we might find them.”

Seeking after God is one of the principle marks of Christian discipleship. Christians look for God, and find God, in all parts of life, but sometimes it helps to have company. That’s what the church is for. We are the fellowship of those who seek to find Jesus in their lives. We are companions in life and in the spiritual journey.

Join us in seeking God together.


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