Only true glimpsers will see this one! I caught the site of half dome glass windows during the opening panning shot of A Christmas Story. While the movie is set in Northern Indiana, the city scenes are actually downtown Cleveland, where this structure has been standing since 1894.

The building is a Civil War monument that honors the individuals who served during the war. From the Soldier and Sailors Art Catalog (found on their website), “The Tablet Room contains fourteen superbly crafted and brilliantly colored stained glass windows that flood the interior with a gloriously sublime light. They are composed of a wide variety of opalescent glasses and even semi-precious translucent stones. The windows have bronze frames and sashes that are hinged on the bottom and open from the top, with a chain and gearing. The windows are patterned to reflect the themes of the bronze battle groupings found on the exterior of their respective walls. The sashes are made double to hold a protective plate of Florentine glass on the outside.”

Levi Scofield, a veteran of the war, was the architect of the monument. He worked on the condition that he would not be paid, and worked during 12 years on its development and construction. He created an original style utilizing images of the tools and symbols of the military, which is seen in the detail of the stonework, brass work and stained glass windows.

The windows are high up the walls, topping the listed names of the county's servicemen. Relief sculptures depicting Civil War scenes make up the center of the room.

In the various windows, I see rondels used as cannonballs, some nice dimension to that wheel, and some flowing flags. I wish I could see them all up close!

A renovation of the monument took place in 2008, including releaded of the glass windows, as seen here. It’s a treat to see historic glass on the workbench! You can see how big the windows are from this perspective; all measure 66” wide at the base.