Narrated by David Reichard

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The large, stained-glass lantern hanging in the vestibule entry to the Church was a gift from the family of Clarence W. “Chuck” Fuller, who was our church’s minister from 1949 to 1979.

It is made primarily from stained glass, which originated from the windows of the prior First Congregational Church building that was destroyed by fire in 1967. The medallions in the center of each panel came from the stained-glass windows of a Pemaquid, Maine church at its dismantling. The lamp was created by an artist in Pemaquid, Maine, and hung in the Fullers’ home at Pemaquid Point for many years.

After Rev. Fuller’s death, his family felt that the lantern should return to Melrose. It was installed in the vestibule entry of the church where it remains illuminated as a perpetual light of welcome.

The vestibule originally had wooden panels above the front doors, which would significantly obscure the light from the lantern when viewed from the outside.  To ensure that the light was visible from both inside and out, the vestibule wood panels were replaced with glass as another sign of our church’s desire to extend light to the darkness and express our welcome to all.  The lantern and vestibule renovations were dedicated on June 2, 1996, in memory of Constance “Connie” A. Dow, Clarence W. Fuller, and Nancy Ellen Smith. In 2010, a special gift was given to replace the wooden front doors with glass doors in a style complementary to the church’s architecture.