St. Peter's
Episcopal Church
The Abbott Memorial Window
Liturgical North Transept (C. E. Kempe circa 1925)
The North Transept Windows show scenes from the ministry of Christ, continuing the theme of the Life of Christ used in the windows in the North Aisle.
Starting at the left on the lower panels, we see in the First Panel St. John the Baptist dressed in his rough coat which is symbolic of his life in the wilderness. He is carrying a staff shaped as a cross from which is flying a scarlet banner with his insignia on it, and in his hand is a shell which symbolizes Our Lord’s Baptism. Above this panel is the inscription from Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I shall send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me.”
The Second Panel depicts Jesus being baptized in the River Jordan. The dove in the upper part of the panel symbolizes the descent of the Holy Spirit. There are two angels in the background. The inscription above this panel reads “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.”(Isaiah 11:1)
In the Third and Fourth Panels we see Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with his Apostles; St. John, St. Peter, and St. James are sleeping. Peter is seen with his sword in his hand which is symbolic of his impulsive act in cutting off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. The angel in the upper corner of the third panel holds a chalice which is symbolic of Jesus’ prayer, “If it be Thy will, let this cup be removed from me.” In the background of the fourth panel, Judas is shown betraying Jesus by leading his enemies to him from the City of Jerusalem. Above the third panel is the inscription from Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Above the fourth panel is another inscription from Isaiah 53:5 “With his stripes we are healed.” Directly above the inscriptions on these panels are the Old Testament Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
The Upper Panels portray the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.
Beginning at the right, we see in the first panel the friends of the Master at the cross –St. John, St. Mary, and Mary the wife of Cleophas. Across the top of this panel are the words “Woman, behold thy son , …. Behold thy mother. “ (John 19:26,27) which Jesus spoke to St. Mary and St. John from the Cross. In the background of this and all the panels are seen the walls of the City of Jerusalem as they appeared to the imagination a Medieval artist.
In the second panel is shown the Crucifixion. The letters I.N.R.I. (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews) are seen at the top of the cross above the Savior’s head. At the foot of The Cross stand Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, St. Mary Magdalene (holding the cruet of oil), and the Centurions.
The inscription above these two panels is from St. John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” In the small quatrefoil above and between the two panels is a Cross and the words “He was crucified for us.”
The next two panels depict the visit of the Holy Women to the Tomb on the first Easter morning. The first figure on the right in the third panel is Joanna, the St. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less, kneeling. In the fourth panel, we see the angels and the empty Tomb. Over the angel’s heads are the words, “He is not here. He is risen.” (Matthew 28:6). The inscription above these two panels is the 24th Verse of the 118th Psalm, “This is the day which the Lord has made, We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Above and between these two panels is also a small quatrefoil showing an anchor and the words “The Cross is my Anchor (Hope).” Above all and in the center of the four panels is a large quatrefoil in which are seen two angels holding a banner with the letters I.H.S (the Greek letters for “Jesus”). Above the inscriptions on all the four panels are depicted the Evangelists: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John.
The Memorial Windows were given to the Glory of God and in memory of Lyman Frederick Abbott (1839-1920) and his wife Laura Tirza Abbott (1847-1911). Fred Abbott was the senior partner in H. E. Bradford & Co., one of the largest manufacturers of knit goods in the region. Lyman F. Abbott was married to Laura Tirza Hancock, a longtime member of St. Peter’s Church and active member of St. Agnes Guild. They lived at 300 Pleasant Street, a block away from the church.