Tree of Life Chapel - Kirkwood, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Wampa-One
N 38° 34.988 W 090° 24.367
15S E 725938 N 4273708
Spectacular stained glass windows in this chapel connected to the First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood.
Waymark Code: WM5E83
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 12/26/2008
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member BluegrassCache
Views: 11

Kirkwood-based Emil Freil, Inc., America's oldest stained glass window firm, fabricated the four 17-foot tall multi-colored panels that stretch 48 feet across. Brother Martin Erspamer, a Benedictine monk at St. Meinrod's Monastery, St. Ferdinand, Indiana, designed the window panels that depict an artistically abstract tree, touched by a gentle wind, as it undergoes a natural transformation from spring to winter, or, metaphorically, from birth through death.

When the north light bends through the windows the chapel is flooded with light and the windows take on an iridescent glow. When one looks outside the window, everything is seen in a shimmering, wavy dimension. At night, automatic timers illuminate the windows so passersby can fully appreciate their beauty and craftmanship. Since the Frei firm started business in 1898 it says it has not fabricated a window as large as ours. An exterior double pane of insulated clear safety glass protects the leaded stained glass panels. Concrete piers, sunk nearly 30 feet below the foundation, prevent the chapel from shifting and possibly damaging the unique windows that were made from glass hand-blown in Germany.

The four-foot diameter rose window high above the chancel represents Brother Martin's version of the symbolic tree of life with branches reaching skwyward and a sprightly array of wildflowers at its roots. "You'll feel like you're looking into the sky from this (translucent) window," said Stephen Frei, the builder, who explains that the round window he fabricated for the Washington, D.C. National Cathedral is similar in color and size to that of our chapel.

Two longstanding members of the church, Peg and Blanton Whitmire, generously funded the chapel's construction.
~ from informational brochure about the Tree of Life Chapel by the First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood.

Also mentioned in the August 2007 edition of the Kirkwood Pres (visit link)
Type of building where window is located: Church

Address:
100 E. Adams Ave.
Kirkwood, MO USA
63122


Admission Charge: 0.00 (listed in local currency)

Days of Operation: normal Worship Times, or by special appointment

Hours of Operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM

Visit Instructions:
Please include additional photos of the window or windows at this location. Provide additional information regarding the window/s if you are able.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Stained Glass Windows
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
Forest-Ghost visited Tree of Life Chapel - Kirkwood, MO 02/19/2022 Forest-Ghost visited it
YoSam. visited Tree of Life Chapel - Kirkwood, MO 06/22/2019 YoSam. visited it

View all visits/logs