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, scripture, 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 somebody else's. Though the designs were his own, he was in frequent contact with President 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.

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 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 of these pew ends, installed by Pi Kappa Alpha, evoked controversy and was removed from the Chapel in 2017. Installed in 1957, the end depicted PIKE's founder with a Confederate flag. After conversations with PIKE students, alumni, and the Reverend's Advisory staff, the pew end was eventually removed and is now kept in the Watkinson Library.

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