Theme Day March 2009: Glass

The rose window of R. E. Lee Episcopal, through the snow.

Today is the first of the month, and city daily bloggers around the world are posting on the March theme: Glass. Since my Sunday post is usually of a church, it was easy to combine the two this week.

It may not rival Chartres, but the church keeps this window lit every night, and it's a pretty and comforting sight on an after-dark ramble through the town. Particularly so when it is snowing (March is "coming in" lion-like), as it was last night.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this month's City Daily Photo theme.

Church on Sunday: Old and new at R. E. Lee

The steeple of the R. E. Lee Episcopal Church with the twilight moon.

The stone church dates to 1882 (see it from the front in an earlier post, here), but the steeple was replaced in 2007. The new steeple is 57 feet tall and covered in 1,800 hand-pressed metal shingles. The crown of the weathervane (salvaged from the original steeple), which was newly-covered in gold leaf by church parishioners, still shows bullet holes, reportedly from soldiers discharging their weapons a final time upon returning home from war. (More details on rebuilding the steeple here.)

Nelson Street

Another dusk shot -- Nelson Street between Main and Jefferson.

The row of Italianate cornices dates to the 1890s.

One of Lexington's primary shopping streets, this block of Nelson St. offers antiques, jewelry, fine art photography, cosmetics, women's clothing and lingerie, Celtic items and memorabilia (this area was largely settled by the Scots-Irish), and one of Lexington's two independent bookstores. And there's an old movie-theater across the street, still showing first-run movies.

Many of the upper floors throughout the downtown house student apartments.

[My original post mistakenly stated that you would see this view if you pivoted left from yesterday's church. Any readers familiar with Lexington would know that I was a block off. The church that is in fact opposite this scene is here.]

Church on Sunday: Full moon

Manly Memorial Baptist Church at dusk; corner of Main and Preston streets.

"Manly" does not refer to the character of the congregation (though I wouldn't like to rule it out), but to the church's early 20th C. namesake. Formerly Lexington Baptist, it became"Manly Memorial" in honor of Dr. Charles Manly, pastor from 1903-1914. (The church's website states that in his day he was known as the "most universally beloved man in Lexington.")

The present church was built in 1920, in a rather eclectic style. In addition to the dome, Ionic capitals (above smooth, unfluted columns), and heavy, dentiled cornices, there is an impressive amount of contemporary stained glass in soft, opalescent colors -- greens, blue-greens, warm browns, lavenders and pinks -- that make a strange and interesting contrast to the brick and the many classical references.

Here is an example:

It's a very American ("Rules? -- what rules?") structure that, not surprisingly, also appears to take inspiration from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (located about 56 miles [91 km] NE of Lexington, as the crow flies).

Sirens and Lights

Fire engines stream down Main St. at the beginning of Lexington's annual Christmas parade.

Freezing your toes off, apparently, is part of the fun.

Francesca's at night

I went out last night in the rain looking for a Saturday night scene in downtown Lexington, but between having to hold my umbrella, struggling with night photos for the first time, and dead camera batteries, I came up pretty empty-handed.

This is the window at Francesca's Antiques on Nelson St. It looked captivatingly warm from the cold, wet sidewalk. The window in the picture is actually one of the antiques, propped up to form a backdrop for the window display.