LeGrande Ward: Stained Glass Details

The first glimpse of stained glass you get is the panels on the sides of the entrances.

These windows are lovely, and bring some beautiful light into the lobbies of the otherwise modern building.

I experienced some disappointment, however, to find that some other panes of stained glass are simply mounted on the exterior of the building. They do not act as actual windows or open up into the interior. Additionally, since they are high up, it's difficult to appreciate them at all. I had to zoom in quite a bit to get these pictures.

This is one of those classic examples where I am simultaneously elated (that the windows were saved and reused) and disappointed (that they weren't used in such a way that they could be appreciated as they should be).

LeGrande Ward: Chapel Interior & Stained Glass

 This otherwise-modern chapel still saved the original stained glass from the LeGrande Ward. I was very happy to see that.

 I must be very hard to please, though, because I quickly realized something disappointing--this window has some very uneven lighting!

The lights are clearly visible along the sides and the top. This stained glass isn't a thickly colored as other examples; the glass is more opaque, so instead of even lighting, we have bright lights in the sides and top (which tend to wash out the colors).

Meanwhile, the bottom portions are barely lit at all; none of the colors really glow.

I know that I'm picky when it comes to the use of stained glass, but I just want it to be appreciated fully. A few simple lighting changes could really make this window shine. This is one of the drawbacks of electric lighting.

In any case, I'll take what I can. Thank heavens these windows were saved.

LeGrande Ward

The LeGrande Ward in Salt Lake City was organized in 1913. By December of 1914, they had built this lovely chapel, just down the hill from the Garden Park Ward.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The building looks beautiful. Unfortunately, it was torn down--I'm guessing in the 1980s or 1990s--and replaced with a modern chapel.

The modern chapel does have some of the historic stained glass in there, so we'll be examining that over the next few posts.