A stained glass window dedicated to the memory of Theophilus S. Moliere (December 31, 1853 - October 13, 1896), is located in the Cragsmoor Stone Church, in Cragsmoor, New York. All that is known is that he was a black chef. Does anyone have information on why he received this gift?

by jovialbeam

For context, I visited a church over the weekend and was given an impromptu tour. My guide recently discovered that this stained glass window, which has been part of the church for over a century, was dedicated to a black man during a time when minorities weren’t allowed in the church. It’s reported that the gift was donated by the town. I have a friend in hot pursuit of the history. Within the last hour, she uncovered that he was in Quebec in Sept. of 1882, but was born and died (unconfirmed) in Louisiana. He could not read or write at the age of 16 according to the 1870 census and was working as a cook. Why was a stained glass window dedicated to him?

JeffreyCSlade

I was the “guide.” Thanks for posting this! We would love help in interpreting this wonderful piece of history. I wrote the history of the church and would be happy to share it.