Stained Glass at the Woodlands Cemetery

In 1855, the Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania incorporated stained glass windows in the southern façade of the Hamilton Mansion. Designed by John Gibson, the windows transformed the interior space by creating a chapel-like experience, reflecting larger social movements such as the concept of a rural cemetery, religious symbolism in the domestic residence, and the way these trends came to bear on the nascent idea of the early funeral home industry. This thesis is a study into the Woodlands Cemetery windows as a rare example of surviving mid 19th century stained glass. Documentation and exploration into the windows history, construction techniques, and deterioration mechanisms shed light on future conservation opportunities in a largely unrecognized field of artistry in America.