Historic Tiffany Designed Sanctuary

Sunday, July 21, 2024

The huddle officially ended Monday, July 15.  We have learned just how hard it is to say all the goodbyes and be able to get out of the campground on time so we now, along with many others stay over until at least Tuesday morning.  We had some work to do for Sheila and some things we still wanted to see in the area, so we stayed until Thursday, July 18.

Wednesday morning, we visited the First Presbyterian Church of Bath.  Wow! Some church history first.  This church formed in 1808 and erected their first little white church with a 100-foot spire at East Morris Street in 1825.  At the time it was the only church in Bath, NY and the first spire in Steuben County.  In 1853 the little white church was enlarged and remodeled. In the 1870’s the church was torn down, and a Venetian Gothic church built with native stone was erected in the same location.  The exterior of the church still looks much like it did in 1877 when the church was dedicated.  When church member, John Davenport, died in 1895 his brother hired Tiffany Glass Company of New York to remodel the sanctuary.  First Presbyterian, Bath, is one of five remaining churches with an entirely Louis Comfort Tiffany designed interior.  It is gorgeous.  Of particular note are the Tiffany acorn light fixtures, the geometric stained glass Tiffany windows and the detailed inset mosaics of the chancel rail and pulpit.  There are still original gas lamps that have been converted to electric, hanging in the sanctuary and narthex.  Pictures can’t really do this justice, but we took them anyway.  You should put this on your bucket list.  We are so thankful we saw the flyer that was in the campground office!   Currently they give tours on Wednesdays  from 10:00-1:00.

After the fabulous tour of the church, we visited the nice but small farmers market across the street.  The same park the Switch Crew clean up and placed mulch on Friday.  Good job crew!