150 Years Of Wedding Dresses And Baptismal Gowns Featured In “Sacred Moments Exhibit” At Church Of The Ascension
More than 50 wedding gowns and baptismal gowns from Lakewood’s pioneering families to present parishioners are on display as part of the 150th Anniversary of Church of the Ascension, an Episcopal Church located at 13216 Detroit Avenue. The “Sacred Moments Exhibit” is open to the public every Sunday in June and July following the 10:30 service, from noon to 3:00 p.m., in the church’s lower-level undercroft. There is no admission fee; however, free-will offerings to support the church’s local missions are appreciated.
Some of the heirloom gowns in the exhibit were loaned by the Hird, Beach, Elliott, and Maile families, pioneers of Rockport and Lakewood, as well as the Church of the Ascension. Every decade since the church’s founding in 1875 to today is represented, showing the evolution of bridal fashion; for example, the 1870s bridal gown is gray, which was a popular color in that era. Styles include Victorian, Edwardian, the 1920s, Depression, World War II, and the Post-war 1950s. One of the highlights is a 1948 wedding dress that was inspired by that of Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to the featured gowns, the exhibit includes bridal and baptismal photographs.
The church’s clerical history is documented by items from six Ascension ministers and four bishops of the Diocese of Ohio, including the Rt. Rev. Anne B. Jolly, who is the first woman to serve as Ohio’s diocesan bishop.
For more information about Church of the Ascension and other upcoming activities, please visit www.ascension-lakewood.org.
Corky Thacker is a novelist and a parishioner at Church of the Ascension, an Episcopal Church located at 13216 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.
Corky Thacker
Corky Thacker is a novelist and a parishioner at Church of the Ascension, an Episcopal Church located at 13216 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.