page_title: First Presbyterian Church (Hartford City, Indiana)
section_title: Stained glass
hierarchical_section_title: First Presbyterian Church (Hartford City, Indiana) / Construction / Stained glass
caption_attribution_description: English: Hartford City's First Presbyterian Church stained glass window on west wall.
context_page_description: The First Presbyterian Church of Hartford City is a Presbyterian church in Hartford City, Indiana, United States. The edifice is the oldest church building in a small city that at one time was a bustling community with as many as ten glass factories – and over 20 saloons. Located at the corner of High and Franklin Streets, the church is part of the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
  Construction of the house of worship began in 1892 and was completed in 1893. The church building is considered one of the city's best examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture. One aspect of the building that makes it particularly notable is its windows. The church features massive stained glass windows that were hand-crafted in Belgium and assembled by local glass workers originally from that country.
  At the time the church was constructed, the region was undergoing substantial economic growth related to the discovery of natural gas, and this period is known as the Indiana Gas Boom.
context_section_description: One of the main features of the 1893 version of the church building was (and still is) a huge stained glass window on the High Street (west) side of the sanctuary. Over fifty years after the window's installation, it was still believed to be the largest window enclosed in one frame in the state of Indiana.  The stained glass window was paid for by Mrs. George Gable as a memorial to her mother (Lydia Taughinbaugh), who was one of the charter members of the church.  The glass was handmade in Belgium, and installed by local glass workers originally from that country. Ironically, most of Hartford City's Belgian-immigrant glass workers were Catholics living on the other (south) side of the city.  Although Hartford City had numerous local glass factories by the next decade, Hartford City Glass Company was the only glass factory in town in 1892.  Therefore, it can safely be assumed that the Belgian glass workers were employees of that glass factory.   “Old-timers” may remember Belgian glass workers as employees of American Window Glass Company, which purchased Hartford City Glass just before 1900.
  Belgium is the site of multiple examples of Western European cathedral architecture. Examples include the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Cathedral of Our Lady, the Our Lady of Flanders’ Cathedral of Tournai, and others. During the 19th century, Belgium also contributed significantly to the revival of architecture from the Middle Ages. The works of countymen Jean-Baptiste Capronnier in stained glass, and Baron Bethune in architecture, are especially noteworthy.    An American example of Capronnier's work with stained glass can be found in the “parable window” in the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.
  Belgium was the world's top exporter of glass during the 19th century, and was considered one of the leading makers of flat glass.  Belgian craftsman, such as Fourcault and Bicheroux, continued the Belgian glassmaking excellence by making significant contributions to glassmaking processes during the beginning of the 20th century.  This technological advantage enabled Belgium to be the top exporter of plate and polished glass to the United States during the early 20th century before World War I.
  The stained glass windows in Hartford City's Presbyterian Church still have exceptionally vivid colors, and these colors can be hard to duplicate. With the exception of the writings of the Monk Theopiles, the “recipes” for various colors of glass were often kept secret at the time the church's glass was created – there were no copyrights or patents.  Glass coloring knowledge was often passed on by word from master to apprentice. The exact shade of color of glass was dependent upon secret ingredients, the length of time the molten glass was in the “pot”, and even the composition of the pot.  Some of the ingredients used to color glass are no longer used because it was eventually discovered that the chemicals were hazardous to the glassmaker's health!  
  During the Middle Ages, stained glass windows and other artwork were often used in churches to educate the illiterate.  Poor Man's Bible is the term that eventually was used to describe artwork used in this manner. Some windows used literal scenes from the Christian Bible, while other windows used symbolism to represent the Bible's teachings. The many stained glass windows in Hartford City's Presbyterian Church carry on this tradition with both Biblical scenes and symbolism.
  At first glance, the huge window on the church's west wall (see High Street photo) appears to be an elaborate geometric design without obvious Christian symbols. Instead, the window is full of symbolism.  The circular portion at the top of the window is called a rose window. This type of stained glass window was popular in Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. The west portico of the Tournai Cathedral is an example of a rose window in Belgium. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, is another example of a cathedral with a rose window on the western facade. The west side location is typical for a rose window, and it e
caption: Large stained glass window on High Street side
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