First Presbyterian Church features beautiful stained glass windows, crafted by the Povey Brothers Art & Stained Glass Works of Portland, that adorn the walls of the sanctuary. The Povey Brothers started in 1888, and for a number of years, the Povey firm was the only stained glass works in the Pacific Northwest.

Povey stained glass windows are notable for their use of “jewels,” small, thickly faceted cut faceted pieces of glass in rich colors, and for the use of American opalescent glass. The firm also freely used imported glass from Europe in creating elaborate windows for the evolving tastes and expanding growth of the community.

Within the sanctuary interior, the glass is of amber, blue, and violet hues ranging from light tones at the top to deep tones at the bottom. The windows portray the wheat, lily, grape, and passionflower. High dormer windows depict the fruit of the Bible: the pear, pomegranate, apple, and date. The dominant east “dove” window is a five-panel Gothic arch with a cross.

To view more examples of First Presbyterian Church’s exceptional stained glass windows, please visit the Stained glass windows on the First Presbyterian Church (Portland, Oregon) Wikipedia page.