Acorn Hall restores a window to the past

St. Ceclilia's Window, on display at Acorn Hall. Photo by Marion Filler
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By Marion Filler

 

Saint Cecilia, almost 150 years old and newly restored, has traveled from Morristown’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer to Acorn Hall, home of the Morris County Historical Society, and is ready to meet the public again.

Like other relics from the past, this stained-glass window has a story to tell.

The timeline begins with the house itself. Acorn Hall was built in 1853 by John Schermerhorn of New York. It was an unlucky move, because his wife Louise died within one year of the move to Morristown.

Acorn Hall, home of the Morris County Historical Society. Photo by Marion Filler

More bad luck followed the next owner, Augustus Crane, also from New York City, who bought the house in 1857 with his wife and four children.

Mary Crane, their much loved daughter, grew up in Acorn Hall. She married and became Mary Crane Hone, residing with her husband and three sons in a large white house still standing across the street. Then, in 1887 at age 27, Mary died from typhoid.

Her memorial, the Saint Cecilia window, was commissioned by her parents for the Church of the Redeemer, where the family worshiped.

According to Anne Motto, curator of collections for the historical society, “Saint Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians, and Mary Crane Hone was very musical. She was said to have filled in as an organist at Redeemer from the time the Cranes moved to Morristown when she was about 12 years old.”

The window was designed by the John La Farge Studio in New York, and likely was the work of his top assistant, John Humphreys Johnston. It was installed at Redeemer in 1866.

Fast forward to 1992. The window had deteriorated. Aware of its artistic and historical value, the church donated it to the historical society, where it remained until 2020, crated but not forgotten.

St. Cecilia was intact, but needed a lot of work. She was sent to Serpetino Stained Glass in Needham, MA, for restoration. The company was selected for its expertise with La Farge windows.

They are notoriously difficult to clean because of La Farge’s technique of layering up to seven plates of glass to attain a specific color. The dimensional surface of the window makes each layered area easy to see.

Between each layer of glass, however, was more than a century’s worth of soot, dirt, and even bugs.

Each layer had to be photographed, removed, labeled, cleaned with a Q-tip, and replaced. It was an enormous task that has brought the window back to life.

The restoration cost “tens of thousands of dollars” and was underwritten by the F.M. Kirby Foundation, the Morris County Commissioners and private donations, said Amy Curry, executive director of the historical society.

Measuring 6.5 feet tall by 4 feet wide, the piece is framed in a back-lighted box that simulates daylight. The inscription at the bottom reads “Placed by Augustus and Mary E. Crane in Memory of Their Daughter Mary,” and will be permanently displayed in Augustus Crane’s small art gallery in the rear of Acorn Hall.

There will be a cocktail reception today, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, from 4:30 – 7:30 pm, with a presentation at 5:30. Reservations are limited, but the window can be seen during regular visiting hours.

Acorn Hall, at 68 Morris Ave., is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am-4 pm with the last tour at 3:15 pm. Sunday tours are from 1 pm-4 pm, also with the last tour at 3:15 pm. Admission: Adults $6, Seniors $5, Students $3 and children under 12 are free. The gardens are open from dawn till dusk.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. 1-Was there actually 7 layers of glass in this window? “notoriously difficult to clean because of La Farge’s technique of layering up to seven plates of glass to attain a specific color. The dimensional surface of the window makes each layered area easy to see.”
    2- Is there any documentation to verify this statement? “The window was designed by the John La Farge Studio in New York”
    Thanks

  2. I couldn’t agree with you more, Marge…..It is indeed a special gift that will be enjoyed hopefully for generations to come and Thank You to Kevin Coughlin for once again allowing Morristown news that would never be seen without his permission and commitment to informing folks in Morristown about what’s happening in town….

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