stained glass

John La Farge, who was trained as a painter, is credited with reviving American-made stained glass during the last two decades of the 19th century. Like his contemporary and rival, Louis Comfort Tiffany, La Farge is recognized for his innovative and experimental work in glass. La Farge was the first designer to use opalescent glass, which became a hallmark of windows by Tiffany and other American stained glass manufacturers. The Patrick Ford residence was built in 1897, but it is believed that this window may have predated the construction of the house. La Farge ran a small stained glass studio in New York City, but his production was fairly limited. The style and fabrication techniques of this window suggest a date of manufacture in the late 1870s or early 1880s, when La Farge had his windows made by the MacPherson Studios in Boston. The window’s original placement in the Ford residence also suggests that the house may have been designed around it.