Wright Auction

The present work originates from the interior of the Grace United Methodist Parish in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania. Located in Southwestern Pennsylvania in the Allegheny-Kiski River Valley, Natrona Heights is 23 miles northeast of Pittsburgh and is a neighboring community of New Kensington—where the Aluminum Company of America had made its home since 1891. The strong silver metal was used proudly and frequently in this area, where some 3,000 employees worked and lived during the peak years, and the Grace United Methodist Church Education Center was no exception. Built circa 1955, this modernist building was constructed as an attachment to the original church and featured aluminum architectural details, including floor-to-ceiling clad windows, religious symbols, Blumcraft railings, and custom-designed lighting including this lot. Original to the design of the interior, Tynell's designs are presented just as they illuminated the spiritual space for nearly 70 years.