The Tiffany Collection
                                                 The Tiffany Collection of stained glass windows of Park                                                    Church remain as loving memorials to faithful members                                                        and former pastors of the church.  Installed and                                                           prayerfully dedicated beginning in the year 1904 and                                                             not completed until 1938, they have served as a                                                               source of great beauty and spiritual inspiration,                                                                creating a worshipful setting for many generations                                                                of the Park Church family.

                                                             The windows were designed as a set to be placed                                                            in a chronological order starting on the southeast                                                          side and proceeding clockwise around the room to                                                        the northeast corner.  They were purchased by donor                                                     preference and placed in the designated spaces (as                                                  indicated by installation dates).

The original order was disturbed when the chancel was remodeled in 1930.  At that time three of the windows were moved and placed over the central altar.  The installation of decorative organ casework covered two of the original window spaces.  The third space on the south side remained empty until the centennial celebration in 1936, finally being installed in 1938 on Easter Sunday.  Executed after the death of Louis Tiffany, this window was designed by Wilson, one of the best known of the Tiffany artists.  This addition further changed the already disturbed order as planned by the artist, but all spaces were now filled, and all exquisitely created by the Tiffany Studios!

The two plain windows bisected by the balcony called the
Pastor’s Windows, were installed in 1916, the gift of
Mrs. Loraine Pratt Immen.

In 1988 an arsonist broke into the church and set
fire to the sanctuary, devastating the worship center.
The Tiffany windows were smoke damaged, and a
few suffered breakage.  They were removed and
shipped to New Jersey for cleaning and restoration.
When reinstalled, the protective Lexan was removed
from the exterior and replaced with vented
tempered glass.

Spirit of Music and Flowers
The two small windows on either side of the chancel were
dedicated in 1938.  Designed by Mrs. Ruby Ferris, a woman
raised in Park Church, grand-daughter of Deacon William Haldane, pioneer furniture maker, Mrs. Ferris planned the windows to brighten dark corners and represent the spirit of music and of flowers.  Originally ordered from Tiffany, they were sent to be finished by the T.C. Esser Company of Milwaukee when Tiffany went bankrupt.

                                                  The West Gallery Window
                                                      The first stained glass window installed in 1869, when                                                           the church was new, was placed in the gallery.  It                                                               had been donated by the Sunday School.                                                                   Produced at a time when stained glass art had                                                                    not yet developed in America, it did not                                                                    compare in quality with the Tiffany Collection.                                                                    In 1924, the women started a fund to replace                                                                    this window, and in 1927 had collected $8,000.                                                                    The new window was ordered from Tiffany                                                                  Studio, and dedicated to loyal women of the                                                               church. Entitled “Angels of Praise”, it is inscribed                                                              “In loving service we praise God”.  The main                                                         themes are praise and immortality, depicting angels                                                    proclaiming victory over death.  The background                                                 suggests a heavenly city.

Art at Park Church
Art at Park is a series of art exhibits sponsored by the Heritage and Fine Arts Committee. Begun in 1999 the event has sponsored numerous exhibitions. The artists are regional and local with work ranging from oil, watercolor, pastel, collage, cutpaper, and acrylic to photography and gilee prints.

The purpose is to acquaint the members of Park Church with a variety of artists and their styles of art and make the work available to the Grand Rapids community. The exhibition time is of six weeks duration and is located in the main hall.

A "meet and greet" Sunday is arranged for each artist. Information is given to the Grand Rapids Press and appears in the weekly Congregationalist. Any interest in having a show should be referred to the Heritage Board of Park Church.