Carnegie’s final wish is fulfilled at last, 100 years after his death
IT HAS been 100 years in the making but a stained glass window has finally been installed in a Scottish abbey.
The colourful tribute to the family of steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was made by the Tiffany Glass firm in 1913 but then shelved as it was considered too modern.
The sunset-hued scene – showing foliage framing a mountain range with a river between – has now been installed at Dunfermline Abbey, where it was originally intended to be displayed.
Carnegie commissioned the window for the church in the Fife town where he was born in 1835 and lived until he was 12. He emigrated with his family to America, where he made a fortune in the steel industry, but gave most of his money away, including funding many projects in Scotland, such as a string of libraries.
Carnegie started his career as a telegraph operator, had investments in railroads and the oil industry, and worked as a bond salesman before using his wealth to establish the Carnegie Steel Company.
After selling his industrial empire to J P Morgan in 1901 Carnegie surpassed even John D Rockefeller as the richest American for several years.
Reverend Mary Ann Rennie, minister of the Abbey Church of Dunfermline, said: ‘I am delighted to have it installed. As a congregation it’s something we’re really welcoming. It adds some power to our window.
‘The feedback I’ve had has been positive. Lots of folk were saying how beautiful it looks and how the colours were so vibrant.
‘I would hope Andrew Carnegie would be pleased.’
The Commission for Ancient Monuments deemed the window design too modern, so it was first installed in Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline, before being placed in the headquarters of the Carnegie Trust.
Now, following a sympathetic restoration 100 years after Carnegie’s death in 1919 aged 83, his wish has finally been fulfilled.
The window’s location will create a focal point for a new contemplative space.