Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian is a Gothic style church built of Baltimore County limestone for $150,000 in 1869-1870. In 1905, transepts were added. From 1905-1910, Tiffany stained glass windows were installed. In 1930, Ralph Adams Cram, the celebrated architect from Boston, redesigned the altar and built the current chancel where the Skinner Company installed the Opus 839, IV/45 pipe organ in 1931. A labyrinth walk and columbarium were added in 2003.
From 2001-2003, Brown Memorial and its windows underwent a $1.8 million restoration through a generous gift from the estate of Mrs. E. Cowles Andrus and matching gifts from 300 congregation members.
Stained glass has been linked with Christian theology since the medieval period. Light was believed to be the source of divine providence and through ecclesiastical stained glass, earthly light transformed to divine light.
At Brown Memorial, our sanctuary is blessed to have 17 American art glass and stained glass windows. At least 11 are products of the Tiffany Studios. Most were installed between 1905 and 1910. Today, they make up one of the world’s largest and finest collections of Tiffany art still in their original setting.
These windows exemplify the highest quality of workmanship and illustrate the novel techniques the Tiffany Studios used to create limitless ranges of hues, colors and textures. Together, with other American art glass windows in Brown, they fill the sanctuary with radiant, transcendent light.
Read more about the history and restoration of our Tiffany Windows in the April 2003 issue of Baltimore Magazine.
Our cell phone audio tour invites visitors to listen and learn about our Tiffany and stained-glass windows, extensive wood carvings, Skinner pipe organ and labyrinth inside the sanctuary.
The highlight of the tour is Brown Memorial’s collection of early 20th Century American art glass, including 11 Tiffany windows. Two of the Tiffany windows—one in each of the church’s transepts—measure 16 feet wide by 32 feet tall and are believed to be among the largest windows created for a church by the Tiffany Studios. The audio tour allows listeners to step close to the windows and learn about the biblical themes they explore, as well as the artistry that went into their creation—follow along using the photo gallery below.
To take the audio tour in-person (ideal!), schedule your visit between 10 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Friday with our Administrative Assistant. When you arrive for your visit, you’ll be let into the sanctuary and can dial the audio tour phone number, 410-630-4298.
To take the audio tour remotely simply use the pictures in the gallery below. The audio tour phone number, 410-630-4298, can be dialed from anywhere, at any time of the day.
Most of the 29 audio tour stops are less than three minutes each, so your tour will take approximately 45 minutes.
