Grace Lutheran, Fremont - exterior

Utterly magnificent ... palatial ... the best Lutheran church in NW Ohio! Now THIS is what I'm talking about when I say, small town treasure!

This Gothic Revival masterpiece was built in 1928-29. In 1946, the church began an ambitious project to replace the stained glass windows, which continued for over 25 years! Those windows are also masterpieces which will be covered in another post, just as extensively as I can!

This aerial photo of the entire complex is from the back cover of a book detailing the stained glass windows. The sanctuary, parish house, and former parsonage, now used for offices, cover an entire city block and wrap themselves around a cloistered courtyard. The church itself is cruciform in its layout.

I love these lacy quatrefoils ...

The parish house from inside the courtyard.

Wonderful carvings of an owl and eagle over a parish house door.

Nice monastic feel to this ...

The sanctuary windows also used to be this sort of smoke-glass geometric, but the congregation eventually decided to make some changes -- and they went whole-hog with it. The windows as they are now, beautifully complement the elegant, palatial nature of the building.

Nice!

The former parsonage houses a day care center as well as the church offices.

Even the downspouts have class!

This green man standing watch at a rear door is a nice little surprise ...

Reaching for the sky, this beautiful steeple over the left transept ...

Epiphany

... and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Matthew 2: 9-12

Arcade window, St. Mark's Lutheran, Toledo

Aisle window, Grace Lutheran, Fremont

A Peaceful and Blessed Christmas To All

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2: 4-7

Arcade window, St. Mark's Lutheran, Toledo.

Aisle window, Grace Lutheran, Fremont

St. John's Lutheran, Fremont

Downtown Fremont, Ohio is a historic church wonderland! Among the many treasures is St. John's, actually only a block away from the bigger congregation of Grace Lutheran. Very surprising to see that this arrangement works out, since both congregations are holding their own pretty nicely. Wish that sort of thing could work out in Toledo ...
Even from the outside, these windows are tantalizingly beautiful. Love the tracery ...

Monolithic tower ...The apse, facing an alleyway so it's not easy to see ...

This mighty fortress was built in 1917, although this cornerstone speaks of a much older time and place ...

We visited on two occasions. The first time was late in the afternoon on an increasingly blustery summer day, and the church was locked. I shot this teaser of a photo through the front doors ... then I went home and called the church office to set up a time to get in there!

And when you DO get in there ... this is what you see from the balcony. Marvelous!!Bride-and-groom's-eye view from in front of the altar ...

These pipes are wonderful!

Lovely baptistry and marble font ...

It appears that the church's website is being re-constructed, so I can't access any historic info. However, at the time of my visit, I was given some info regarding the windows ...
An article from the Fremont News-Messenger in 1986 read in part: "The windows in St. John's Lutheran Church in Fremont and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Clyde look more like oil paintings than glass with their deep red, purple and green tones. (note: I have photos of Clyde St. Paul's also, which I will get to as quickly as possible.) St. John's windows were installed in 1917 when the church was first built. They were designed by the Von Gerichten Art Glass Company in Columbus, which just happened to have some of the Bavarian glass on hand from their German studios."
"The windows, like most others, are in the Gothic style, with five panels or lancets creating a single scene. The church's south window depicts Jesus in Gethsemane with his disciples sleeping in the background as he speaks with an angel. The north window depicts the resurrection with Jesus coming out from the cave, rising from the dead."

Look at the detailing in the robes, both the angel's and Christ's...

Mary Magdalene's wavy hair ... and the greens and blues of the trees and fields and mountains in the background ...The geometric patterns in these windows, that resemble spires and pinnacles, are spellbinding!

More of that detailing in the angel's robe ...

... and the sleeping disciples, bathed in more shades of blue.

Now ... take a good, close look at that altar. It's not immediately easy to see because of the light-on-light tones of the altar against the wall, but ... that reredos is literally over the top ... of the center window! This is thoroughly unique.
High pinnacles at either side ... the golds and greens in the side windows picking up the gold color in the gilt-edged tracery.

Wow.

Yes ... it lights.Beautiful, lacy old crucifix.

... and tall, ornate candlesticks.

Fascinating Last Supper inlaid sculpture ...

Framed by this most unusual altar, is this lovely scene of a tranquil Christ in the lilies, with His arms outstretched.
The balcony window is just this giant geometric color wheel ... I LOVE the burning-candle imagery, and the patterns in that quatrefoil!

Now this is just THE BEST - THE BEST pulpit I've seen anywhere!!

WROUGHT IRON, for cryin' out loud!!!

Another striking eagle lectern. I've seen several of these beautiful pieces now. Some are wooden; some, like this one, appear to be brass or another metal. (There is an Episcopal church in Buffalo that has a magnificent, museum-caliber brass eagle lectern on an ornate brass and marble base. It's just over the top!).

Two lovely tapestries on the walls by the back entrance.

And standing watch, in a sitting room inside the parish house ...

A big word of thanks to the staff of St. John's for being so very accommodating!