Christ in Blessing

Christ in Blessing at the Abbey Mausoleum 

Location

Ballston Station/Central United Methodist Church
4201 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203

Maps Directions Transit Parking

Artwork Details

Artist: Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios
Material: Leaded stained glass
Installed: original 1930s, 2023

This Tiffany stained glass window was originally part of a grouping of thirteen windows that ornamented the Abbey Mausoleum in Arlington for many years (1). The mausoleum, built by the United States Mausoleum Company from 1924 to 1926, was an impressive Romanesque-style structure that neighbored Arlington National Cemetery and in 1942 was included within the grounds of Henderson Hall, the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters. With its granite exterior, marble interior, and stained-glass windows, the building was said to have resembled a cathedral and served as a prestigious burial ground for affluent residents of the area. With the bankruptcy of the Abbey Mausoleum Corporation in the 1950s, the building fell victim to vandalism and neglect. 

In 2000, the U.S. Navy (Navy) gained ownership of the site. The Navy’s redevelopment needs and the mausoleum’s poor condition (2) resulted in the decision to demolish the building. The Navy was required to contact the families of the 245 persons interred at the mausoleum to relocate remains, a process which took several years. Arlington County, through its Historic Preservation Program, was permitted to salvage architectural features from the historic building, including the Tiffany windows.  

Twelve of the thirteen original windows had a simple geometric border with a central floral composition. These windows have since been restored and installed in Arlington County-owned buildings and can be seen at the former Maury School (home to the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington), Westover Library, and Fairlington Community Center. The mausoleum’s thirteenth and largest window, Christ in Blessing, portrayed Christ extending his hand in benediction and was dedicated to E. St. Clair Thompson, a wealthy Mason who was interred at the Abbey Mausoleum in 1933. While removing the stained-glass windows, the inscription Louis C. Tiffany N. Y. was discovered in the lower right-hand corner of the Christ in Blessing window (3). The inscription coincides with the color and script used by the Louis C. Tiffany studio at the time the window was commissioned, confirming its authenticity to the degree possible absent written documentation about the commissioning of the windows. 

The Central United Methodist Church of Ballston in partnership with Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing will continue its mission in the new Ballston Station building, a mixed-use project with 144 affordable apartments. The brand-new sanctuary space presented a chance to house the religious Tiffany Window in a setting that aligns with its theme. This window has been restored by Washington Art Glass Studio, a family-owned stained glass company with over 95 years of experience working out of the Washington, D.C. area. Their expert craftsmanship has returned the window to its original beauty as when it was first installed at the Abbey Mausoleum almost one hundred years ago.   

Restoration and installation funded by the Central United Methodist Church and Ballston Limited Partnership