Trinity College Chapel pews. Photo credit: Trinity College

There are 78 wood-carved pew ends found in Trinity’s Chapel. The carvings depict a variety of images pertaining to the school’s history, American history, the Bible, and the lives of those associated with Trinity. There is no specific theme that ties the pews together; their composition reflects the donors who commissioned them. The order in which the pew ends were arranged also does not reflect any sort of theme or progression, as they were only installed where they were thought to look best.

There are two artists behind all 78 pews. J. Gregory Wiggins was responsible for both the design and carving of 66 of the pews. His first pew was dedicated in 1932, and he continued to make pews for Trinity until right before his death in 1956. Wiggins was a direct carver, meaning he carved by his own drawings and designs rather than someone else's. Though the designs were his own, he was in frequent contact with President Remsen Brinckerhoff Ogilby to swap creative ideas about the pews. The rest of the pews were designed by Trinity Professor John C.E. Taylor, chair of the Department of Fine Arts for several years. Professor Taylor did not carve his designs himself; they instead were carved by Erwin Dressel of C.H. Dresser and Son, Inc. The difference between the carving styles of the two men is that Wiggins consciously incorporated tool marks into his pieces, while Dressel's work showed virtually none.

One of the first pew ends to be installed was the Charter Oak pew end in 1932, which depicts the hiding of the Connecticut Charter from the Royal Governor in 1687. Another early pew end was dedicated by the League for the Hard of Hearing in 1939, which held an annual service in the Chapel Crypt led by President Ogilby. The carving depicts the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, a notable figure in the history of sign language and deaf schools in America, making the sign for “God.” His son attended Trinity in the early 1840s and continued his father's work. A pew end dedicated in 1948 portrays the stealing of the lemon squeezer by the Class of 1896, a reference to iconic Trinity tradition and history.

The last pew end to be dedicated was one honoring President Albert C. Jacobs in 1968. The only other College president with a dedicated pew end is President Ogilby. There are also a handful of pews dedicated to notable professors and Hartford residents. Many are dedicated to various prep schools that Trinity is associated with, and many others were donated by Trinity's fraternities.

One pew end was designed, created, and donated to the College by alumni members of Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) and installed in 1957. It depicts Corporal Julian Edward Wood running with a Confederate flag on his back.

A 1958 article by Trinity's Assistant Director of Public Relations, Dale Hartford, reprinted in the Shield and Diamond (a Pi Kappa Alpha periodical) stated that after his time in the army, Julian Wood entered the University of Virginia, where he was one of six founding members of Pi Kappa Alpha. According to the article, “Three of the six were veterans of the Confederate Army, and founding Pi Kappa Alpha was their attempt at preserving the unique culture and heritage of the South.” “This is a very busy weekend at Trinity. It is Alumni Homecoming Weekend… perhaps most notable of all, it is the weekend when Corp. Julian Wood raises the Confederate flag in the Trinity Chapel.”

Due to its depiction of Confederate iconography, questions about the pew-end's visibility and existence in the Chapel, and what that represents to students, faculty, and staff, were raised in 2017.

Several PIKE alumni wrote emails to Chaplain Allison Read regarding the pew-end in support of its removal. One stated that “These groups commissioned the statues and monuments for two main purposes: (1) to spread and to glorify the “Lost Cause” myth of the Civil War as a fight to maintain the southern way of life instead of preserving slavery; and (2) to serve as explicit symbols of white supremacy by reminding African-Americans during the Jim Crow era that they were second class citizens.” Another email said, “What the founders of the national fraternity fought for before forming PIKE is an embarrassment, not a source of pride,” and a third stated “I have never felt that the national organization represented the Trinity chapter in any way and I cannot think of any ethically sound reasons why someone would choose confederate symbols to represent PIKE at Trinity.”

After lengthy discussions with current PIKE and alumni members, as well as Chaplain Read's Advisory Staff, a consensus was reached to relocate the pew-end to the College Archives in the Watkinson Library. It was removed in August 2017 and in 2021, it was transferred to the Watkinson, where it is now preserved.

Trinity and Slavery - Confederate Symbolism (2019) by students in American Studies 406.

Confederate Symbolism at Trinity College (2019) by Tyler Hartmeyer.

Trinity Tripod, 10/26/2017.

The Chapel of Trinity College (1982) by Peter Grant pp. 29-60.