Date: 1889

 

Description: This stunning stained-glass window was once a part of the Garretson Mansion, a Richardsonian Romanesque house built in 1889. Arthur S. Garretson was a leading land developer in his time, and he saw the great potential for the area that Peters had begun developing. Garretson, along with many other Sioux City elites like James Jackson and Daniel Hedges, began buying up the land in this area and selling it for development and profit. Garretson worked close with Peters to plan out several mansions, transit lines, and universities. These plans were delayed by the Panic of 1893, but Morningside continued to thrive, especially after 1900. By 1940 the area held over half of the city’s population. Garretson built his mansion right in the heart of the new area, where the Morningside Branch of the Sioux City Public Library is today. This window was on the first floor of the Garretson Mansion and is larger than some stained glass windows of local churches. It is nearly 6 feet in diameter and is too heavy to support its own weight. The Egyptian motifs on the window were popular during the 1880s when the mansion was constructed. Garretson sold his mansion, with this window, to Morningside College in 1906 for use as a college for women. This college never came to fruition, but Morningside College used the house for various purposes until it was purchased by the Public Library in 1932. It was renovated and served as a library until 1967, when structural failures led to its demolition and a new library was built. Many pieces, like this window, were salvaged from the mansion before its demolition.

 

Donor information not available

 

On display