The Stained Glass
Windows of
Pine Street
Presbyterian Church
and Their Restoration

Clerestory

RUTH

Fast Facts

  • Location—West Balcony Stairway
  • Dedicated—October 28, 1945
  • Given by—Mrs. John W. Dowden in Memory of Margaret Susannah Rutherford
  • Artist—Henry Lee Willet
  • Cost—$562.50

Problems

  • Very heavy deflection (bulging) indicating failure of the lead.

The Restoration

  • Remove storm coverings.
  • Remove all panels and transport to the studio for Historic Restoration.
  • Insert plywood to seal the openings. It will be painted on the interior and exterior, to complement the colors of the building.
  • Reinstall windows and cover with vented, protective glass.

Restoration Status

  • Removed for repair September, 2008
  • Returned July, 2009

This window, with pictures of events in the life of Ruth was given by Mrs. John W. (Nan) Cowden in memory of her aunt, Margaret Susannah Rutherford, who was for many years a member and active worker in our church before her death in March of 1926. The scene depicts Ruth as she agrees to leave her land and her people and go with her widowed mother-in-law to Bethlehem. WITHER THOU GOEST, I WILL GO, THY PEOPLE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, THY GOD MY GOD. (Ruth 1:16). To one side is Ruth's sister, Orpah, returning to her own people; on the other side is the shining city of Bethlehem and the inscription: THEY WENT UNTIL THEY CAME TO BETHLEHEM. Above is the main figure of the window, Ruth the Gleaner, while in the tympanum above is the marriage of Ruth and Boaz. The rich colored border is made of small angelic figures. The window is made of hand-blown Norman slabs of glass and is inscribed "Willet Studio, Philadelphia, 1945."