Boxwood celebrates restored stained-glass window, renovated chapel

Photos by Tom Rivers: Dave and Gail Miller, left, and Medina historian Todd Bensley look up close at the restored stained-glass window in the chapel at Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday. The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery rededicated the chapel and invited the community to see a cleaned up chapel.

MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery celebrated about $10,000 in improvements to the historic chapel at the Medina cemetery on Saturday.

A restored stained-glass window of an angel highlighted the improvements at the site. The Friends raised $6,500 to have Valerie O’Hara from Pike Stained Glass Studio in Rochester repair the window. O’Hara took apart the bottom half of the window and rebuilt the artwork that is more than a century old.

The Friends also cleaned out the chapel, painted the interior, and put in new doors on the inside leading to the room where bodies were storied in the winter.

The Village of Medina DPW also rebuilt part of the back wall of the chapel. The building saw little public use for many years. But now it is available for small funerals and other events. Some cemeteries open up their chapels for book clubs to discuss a novel, for example.

“We’re trying to bring it back to life,” said Village Historian Todd Bensley, a member of the Friends. “We are open to whatever. The more people we get in here, the more people who will want to support the cemetery.”

About 30 people attended the rededication celebration for the stained-glass window at Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday. The chapel was built in 1903. The cemetery is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rob Klino, president of the Friends, said the volunteer group remains enthusiastic and committed about improvement projects at the cemetery, and other events to bring people to the grounds on North Gravel Road.

Cindy Robinson, owner of the English Rose Tea Shoppe, will host a tea in the cemetery event from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 8. Tables will be decorated and participants are encouraged to wear costumes.

There will also be an expanded Boxwood at Night on Oct. 5, with entertainment, lights and tour guides.

Todd Bensley discusses the history of the chapel, which was built in 1903 with $22,000 left to the cemetery from the estate of Silas Mainville Burroughs. The Medina native was influential in the pharmaceutical industry and was co-founder of the pharmaceutical giant, Burroughs Wellcome & Co. This is one of the companies which today make up GlaxoSmithKline.

When Burroughs died in 1895, he left more than $22,000 to Boxwood Cemetery. Burroughs was buried in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where he had died from pneumonia, and commissioners desired to have his body removed and re-interred in Boxwood Cemetery. When it became evident this would not happen, the commissioners began looking for a suitable memorial to this generous patron and native son.

They settled on building a chapel, which could serve not only as a memorial to Burroughs, but a place where funeral services could take place and bodies stored for the winter, waiting for spring burial.

Boxwood opened in 1850.

Valerie O’Hara discusses the work in repairing the window. The bottom half was totally taken apart, cleaned and put back together with new lead. O’Hara said the window was done in a Tiffany style with layers of glass.

The artist who made the window is unknown, despite diligent efforts going through old village records to try to find a resolution or contract, showing who made the window.

O’Hara said some of the glass pieces were made a little too big, and some of the lead was a little too small.

“The Victorians loved to push the envelope,” she said.

Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, discusses the themes in the “He Is Risen” window. The Angel of Lord is pointing Heavenward. The golden colors represent the goodness of God, Lattin said.

Lattin wrote a book, Luminaries in the Firmament, about many of the prominent stained-glass windows in Orleans County.

Rob Klino handed out certificates to key volunteers during the rededication on Saturday. Georgia Thomas was given a certificate of appreciation for preparing many desserts, including her popular lemon bars, for Saturday’s celebration.

He also recognized Valerie O’Hara for her work on getting the window restored. O’Hara is planning to retire soon and the Medina project is one of her last.

Jeff Wagner was recognized for doing a lot of woodwork inside, restoring interior doors, and putting in a curved arch above the window.

Craig Royal painted the interior white, including up high near the ceiling.

Tim Tierney also was eager to help with tasks in getting the chapel ready for public use again.

Klino also had a certificate for the DPW for its work in the chapel, including the work shoring up the back wall.

“We’re making headway,” Klino said about progress at the chapel and cemetery. “We’re going to keep going until it’s done.”

The back room is a crypt where bodies were stored during the winter. The floor was covered in dirt and debris. When it was swept and cleaned, a marble floor was underneath.