"Let there be light" conveys the significance of light as a metaphor for the divine, and it is readily present within the Chapel at STM.
In an earlier “From the Archives” article, we noted that the Chapel’s founder, Rev. T. Lawrason Riggs, expressed his preference for a “cheerful church-joyous-with plenty of light” — hence, the clear windows, beautifully etched, that grace the STM’s Chapel and flood its interior with sunlight during the day. We also think that Father Riggs’s sentiment holds true for the Chapel’s chandeliers during the evening hours.
The eight chandeliers were crafted of copper, glass and nickel, topped with unique decorative glasswork, a distinctive feature that attracts our attention and piques our curiosity. Their most prominent features are evocative of laboratory science. The pipettes, retorts and tubes clearly indicate that the sciences are entitled to a comfortable niche within Catholic higher education. In addition, the chandeliers tend to draw our eyes upward and forward to the sanctuary, the crucifix and the table.
The chandeliers are singular works of art and of course, they have an interesting history.
Saint Thomas More Chapel was designed by New Haven architect Douglas Orr ‘19 B.F.A. ‘27 M.F.A. Mr. Orr dominated New Haven architecture in the mid-twentieth century, creating numerous structures in the city’s skyscape, most notably the addition to the Yale Art Gallery and the Eli Building (SNETCO). He also served as Vice Chairman of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion (the White House) and designed the Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon in Washington, D.C.
Orr’s design of STM’s Chapel is considered spare, but also punctuated by the “flamboyant jewelry” of his chandeliers. The architect had selected a well-respected Meriden, Connecticut manufacturing company, Bradley & Hubbard, to create the fixtures. The Macalester Bicknell Corporation, also of Meriden, may well have executed the scientific glassware on the chandeliers. One surviving detail of that legend holds that the glass artisan responsible for that part of the assignment was a man named Jonathan Melville Bee.
In 1965, these extraordinary lights were removed to the Chapel’s basement and spent decades in disrepair. In 2006, Petra Construction undertook a major renovation of the Chapel and Residence as designed by Knight Architecture. Petra and Knight are both well-known firms in the New Haven area. In the course of this restoration, the chandeliers were re-discovered. Five of the original six had survived their internment and were restored to their original luster. Three exact copies were artfully crafted by the Crenshaw Lighting Company of Floyd, Virginia, making the Chapel’s new chandelier count eight instead of six.
The sophisticated and artistic legacy of Fr. Riggs and the artisans who helped him realize his vision lives on in our Chapel and in its unique chandeliers. Beautifully restored, the chandeliers continue to illuminate and inspire all who visit STM’s Chapel.
Special thanks to those who contributed their knowledge and time to this article: Peter Alegi ‘56 ‘59 LL.B.; Janis Attridge, M.B.A.; Harold Attridge ‘97 M.A.H.; Fr. Robert Beloin, Ph.D.; George Knight ‘95 M.Arch.; Guido Petra; John Wilkinson ‘60 ‘63 M.A.T. and Sarah Woodford ‘10 M.Div.
To see more photos of the Chapel chandeliers visit: stmarchives.omeka.net.
