THE WINDOW

The Stonewall Jackson Memorial Window holds a meaningful place in the history of our congregation and the ministry of the third and longest serving pastor of the church, Rev. Dr. Lylburn Liggins Downing.

Designed by Dr. Downing and created in Tiffany-style-stained glass, the window reflects his desire to remember a story rooted in faith, teaching, and family.

In 1856, before the Civil War, Thomas J. Jackson, reorganized a Sunday School for "Negro" slaves in Lexington, Virginia. At this time, such instruction was not simply frowned upon, but illegal. Among those students taught to read in Jackson’s Sunday School were Dr. Downing’s parents, making this memorial window a deeply personal, as well as a spiritual endeavor.

Announced in 1905 and unveiled in the original church sanctuary as the centerpiece of a triptych in 1906, the window bears Jackson’s reported final words before his death, the result of a "friendly fire" war injury in the 1863 Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville: “Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees.” Its dedication drew attention beyond Roanoke and brought together local leaders and historic organizations from across the state and the country.

While Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson is most remembered for his role as a decorated Confederate General, Dr. Downing emphasized that the window, one of only a few pieces of church property to survive a fire in the winter of 1959, was not centered on the Confederacy or military service, but rather, it was a tribute to honor Jackson’s commitment to teaching the Bible to those who were considered as "the least of these," and the lasting influence that faith had on Black families in Lexington.

Throughout its history, the window has never been without controversy among the members and friends of Fifth Avenue, yet it remains as a part of the church’s story—a story reflected in our logo and a story which mirrors the trajectory of a resilient faith by offering an invitation to consider our personal and our community's past with honesty and vulnerability while still looking towards a future of God’s community of love.

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