Alma Mater S-E-W-A-N-E-E

My Sewanee Flags
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I just landed on God's Holy Mountain, also known as Sewanee or The University of the South, for a special gathering as well as time in the theological library.  Hands down, the School of Theology's collection is most likely the best on the East Coast when it comes to all things Anglican and the Episcopal Church.  I've been waiting to get my hands and eyes on some rare texts for answers to many of my la Rose questions.  Yes, I am truly excited to be spending my weekend hiding out in my old seminary library--honestly cannot think of anything more rewarding at the moment.  At least I'll be wearing a tuxedo...  

I'll be certain to post pictures of the heraldic finds here on the Domain.

A Study on Banners

Heraldic processional banners
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Click image to enlarge

Having seen several examples of how Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) designed banners for his clients, I figured it was time to try to see how I could do the same.  Some of these designs are merely doodles of mine while a few are legitimate arms. 

Heraldic processional banners
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Click image to enlarge

This little study of la Rose's banner design continues to intrigue me, as he treated the entire fabric of the banner as though it was the field of a shield.  Depending on the ordinary and/or field division this framework gets rather tricky for me.

So, I suppose that's why we practice.

More Bars 'n Stars in Virginia

More stars 'n bars from the Washington arms in Virginia
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

George Washington:  first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countymen.  Also, first to have his coat of arms changed up in virtually every way possible.  However, the two coats of arms that I found online today are truly quite tasteful and fitting.

The coat of arms of Washington County in Virginia
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The County of Washington is located in the southwest area of Virginia with its seat being the City of Abingdon.  According to the Washington County Historical Society, the county's board of supervisors officially adopted these arms--within a seal--on January 4, 1978. 

The coat of arms of Washington County Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The Washington County Virginia Chamber of Commerce clearly followed in the Board of Supervisors' footsteps by adopting its differenced coat of arms and replacing red with blue.  Simple.  Is the color change sufficient enough to avoid infringing on the established Washington arms?  I'll leave that answer to the reader.

I do appreciate, however, the intention to show unification of the county's chamber with the county itself.  After all, it's good for business!

Recent Finds VIII

Recent finds of arms for parishes in the Episcopal Church
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

More finds from the internet of coats of arms for parishes in the Episcopal Church that I recently emblazoned.  I found these arms to be well designed and meaningful symbols of identification for these faith communities.

The coat of arms of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Henderson, KY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Henderson, KY managed to successfully difference the attributed arms of St. Paul with the addition of waves in chief.  The Ohio River runs next to Henderson and the waves in chief become a fitting symbol for geographical identification.

The coat of arms of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, League City, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The lighthouse is another Christian symbol for St. Christopher, and when placed on the blue canton of the base arms of the Episcopal Church, these arms make for a perspicuous design.  Well done.

The coat of arms of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Cambridge, MA
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Cambridge, MA incorporated the knifes from the saint's attributed arms in a clever way making a unique coat for the parish. 

The coat of arms of St. John's Episcopal Church, Youngstown, OH
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. John's Episcopal Church in Youngstown, OH, while using the attributed symbol for St. John, managed to difference their arms by placing St. John's symbol on an inescutcheon on top of a cross formy with the addition of a compony bordure.  Quite unique parish identification.

The coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church Eufala, AL
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. James Episcopal Church in Eufala, Alabama took the attributed coat of arms for St. James and added a sword in pale to difference the arms.  Clever!

The coat of arms of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Providence, RI
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Providence, RI incorporate several elements--anchor for the state and the crozier and tower for St. Martin of Tours--in a beautiful and harmonious design.

The coat of arms of St. Mark's (Episcopal) in Philadelphia, PA
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. Mark's parish on Locust Street in Philadelphia bear arms following a popular design with the red cross of St. George in base and using the chief for differencing.  Dialing in the winged lion was a fun challenge.

The coat of arms of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Houston, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Placing stones between the fretty design in the coat of arms of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Houston, TX was pure genius.  I believe the open books on the bend must represent the Bible, and in triplicate, the Holy Trinity.  This design was clearly created by someone who knew what they were doing.  A beautiful and meaningful design.

Recent Finds VII

I had this vision in my head for a lion bishop
Created and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

A lion bishop?  Well, of course!  Anything is possible in the world of heraldry!  I had this vision in my head with the lion wearing a mitre and cope and bedazzled in all the episcopal finery possible.  Voila!

...and the finds keep coming!  Here's a quick post with some interesting US corporate heraldry found online recently and then rendered by me.  

The coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church Prouts Neck, ME
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church Prouts Neck in Maine successfully avoided the old "2 and 1" with escallops.  In the absence of any known blazon, I'm guessing the escallop here would be proper.  Green is an entirely appropriate tincture for the State of Maine. 

The coat of arms of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church Hollis, NY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

"Hail Mary, full of grace the LORD is with you," proclaimed the angel Gabriel.  The coat of arms of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Hollis, New York successfully ties together the herald's trumpet with the angel's wings.  I'm still trying to track down, however, if this coat is the attributed and undifferenced version for St. Gabriel.  Regardless, the design works.  My only question is why is there no geographic reference--which leads me to believe these are the attributed arms.  

The coat of arms of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Barre, Vermont
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 

Vermont continues to keep things interesting and the coat of arms of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Barre, VT are quite lovely if not unique to say the least.  These arms were a fun puzzle to solve.

The coat of arms of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (left) and Anderson University (right)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In 2021, Anderson University in South Carolina officially adopted a coat of arms as seen above.  The university is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and I wonder if the bordure was intentional--matching Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's arms.  Either way, I appreciate this thematic approach by our Protestant sisters and brothers.

The coat of arms of St. Paul Seminary (Roman Catholic) in St. Paul, MN
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota carries forward the barry wavy in base which is featured in the arms of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis along with its cathedral, the Basilica of the St. Mary.  Additionally, the seminary's arms avoid the undifferenced and attributed version of arms while providing unique geographic identification as well as unification.  Score!

Recent Finds Part VI

Arms recently found on the web and digitally emblazoned, legend below
by Chad Krouse, 2025

For part six of recent finds, I am sharing a few scholastic coats of arms recently found online.  While I was familiar with the arms of Gilman School and Indiana University, the others were new.  I know I've written before about this point, however, it is a universal truth that the artistic rendering of a given coat can only serve to enhance the beauty and effectiveness where blazonry ends.  The ensigns of the two aforementioned academic institutions never stirred much within me;  I saw those arms as interpreted by the artists who rendered them.  Well, today my mind has changed.  I love the arms of Indiana University (as I interpreted them ha!).  

First Diagonal Row (Top-down):  The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a coat of arms presently unknown, and Middlesex School;

Second Diagonal Row (Top-down):  The Masters School, University of Indiana, and Gilman School 

The coat of arms of Indiana University
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In 1962, Indiana University officially adopted a coat of arms designed by Ade Bethune (1914-2002) who immigrated to the US from Belgium and became a highly skilled liturgical artist in the Catholic Church.  The blazon for the arms of Indiana University:  Gules, on a sun in splendor Argent an open book with four clasps edged of the field. 

Coat of Arms unknown at present
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Loved this design immediately but could not identify it!  One source suggests that these arms are from the US Hospital Auxiliary and used as an award of sorts.  Another source points to the military--the three white stars on a blue field would support that theory.

Blazon:  Argent, on a cross throughout Gules an open booked edged with two clasps Or inscribed Pro Patria et Ecclesia on a chief Azure three mullets of the field.

The coat of arms of Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Rendering the arms of Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY was a fun break from some of the more traditional divisions in the field.  A simple and clean coat of arms.  My blazon for the arms of Masters School:  Or, on a triangle throughout void of the field Purpure an open book edged with three clasps Argent thereon inscribed Do It With Thy Might.

The ribbons hanging from the pages are bookmarks and a first for me in rendering them.

The coat of arms of Gilman School in Baltimore, MD
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Founded in 1897, Gilman School in Baltimore would adopt its coat of arms in 1907, representing an early adopted among US academic institutions before the arms race of the 20th century took off.  Gilman School's coat of arms were designed by faculty member Hamlet S. Philpot who taught Greek, Latin, and history.  The arms are incorporated in the school's seal which has seen a few revisions during its lifetime.  The school's archives present this timeline better that I could, so please click here to see how Gilman School's arms and seal has evolved. 

Recent Finds Part V

US civic coats of arms discovered on the Internet (legend below)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Click image to enlarge

In the ongoing "recent finds series," I've decidedly gone in a new direction in search of US civic coats of arms to render and share.  I was rather surprised by the number of arms used by cities in Rhode Island, and I may need to devote a whole post to those designs.

Top Row (L-R):  City of Austin (TX), City of Saco (ME), and Warwick (RI)

Middle Row (L-R):  Crozet Civic Association (VA), Smithfield (RI), and Warren (RI)

Bottom Row (L-R):  Lincoln, North Providence, and Tiverton (all RI)

Arms of the City of Austin, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I had no idea that the City of Austin used arms, and rather simple ones too.  While the overall design incorporates colors/elements from the state flag of Texas, I believe the gold lamp is a reference to the city being a seat of learning with UT Austin located there.  

Arms of Crozet Civic Association (Crozet, VA)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Quite literally in my backyard, the Crozet Civic Association adopted the arms of Crozet for which the town near Charlottesville is named for in 1996.  The arms are simple and lovely.  Read more about these arms by clicking here.

Arms of the City of Saco, ME
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of Saco, Maine are also simple and lovely, incorporating the chevron from the state's namesake Sir Fernado Gorges, and pinecones from the evergreen tree emblazoned on the state's arms.

Arms of Lincoln, RI
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Lastly, I want to highlight the arms from Lincoln, Rhode Island which incorporate in base the cross of St. George and fleur-de-lis from its namesake Lincoln in England.  I've been there!  The chief provides the differencing by incorporating an axe to play on Abraham Lincoln.

Imagined: The Presiding Bishop's Insignia

The seal of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Adopted during its 1946 General Convention, the Episcopal Church incorporated its arms (adopted in 1940) into a vesica seal shape for the sole use of the Presiding Bishop.  Rendering this design was quite the challenge, but fun nonetheless.

Imagined arms for the Presiding Bishop in a traditional arrangement
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Naturally, I went one step further.  Earlier in his renderings of arms for Roman Catholic bishops, Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) placed a miter on the right and crozier on left immediately above the shield.

The pastoral staff of the Presiding Bishop
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Additionally, what if the two bar metropolitan's staff was recreated and used in place of a crozier?

An imagined version of arms for the Presiding Bishop
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Another imagined version of arms for the Presiding Bishop
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I thought each had their merits, but my favorite one has the key and pastoral staff in saltire behind the arms.   Either way, it's fun to play around and try out new ideas--even if they're just imaginary.  

Against 'Armorial Amnesia'

Heraldic abstraction of the Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Armorial amnesia /noun/: institutional forgetfulness or rejection of their armorial insignia for corporate identification often at the expense of modern branding.

Example:  St. Bart's has the worst case of armorial amnesia I've seen in my life, the new logo approved by the vestry gives a solidly corporate and benign feeling as opposed to the parish's coat of arms used for so long.  

+

Everything has its own cycle of life.  Trees.  Ants.  And us humans, of course.  Organizations, believe it or not, also have their own life cycle--a never-ending merry go 'round of death and resurrection.  I find that organizational cycles have variable speeds when it comes to most non-profits.  Volunteer-led groups, perhaps, are the most susceptible to painful downs when leaders depart and experience dramatic highs when fresh faces appear at the table.  

One casualty of the organizational life cycle is the slow and steady decline of institutional memory.  What do I mean by institutional memory?  It is quite simply the collective experiences of the organization through multiple life cycles, bearing scars and all. 

Just as the lighthouse gives advanced warning to ships at sea, organizations whose lifecycles spin continuously are at a significant risk of losing their history and/or identity.  Or, perhaps worst of all, institutions believing their identification is tied to something outdated like a coat of arms seek a more modern solution and reject their past.  

Preservation of design is my goal, especially in the absence of any other body maintaining a database of US corporate heraldry.  Recently, I was put to the test with a coat of arms from a now closed Episcopal Church.

Line art of the coat of arms of St. James' Episcopal Church (Milwaukee, WI)
Image from Dekay (1993), page 141

St. James' was established in 1867 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and constructed in the gothic revival style.  By 2017, the parish property was sold and is now being used as a meeting venue.  All attempts to discover any information on these arms via the internet proved fruitless.  

Dekay (1993) provides a line art drawing for St. James' arms.  I am most grateful for this clue even if there was no blazon provided in the work.  Without hatch marks or any colored image of St. James' arms, speculation based on known evidence is our course in recreating these arms for preservation.

First, let's begin with the base of these arms, a trimount, lighthouse, sun, and barry wavy lines.

Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse in Milwaukee, WI
Photo from dnr.wisconsin.gov

Given the city's location next to Lake Michigan provides a reasonable rationale for the barry wavy lines, so I logically selected blue and white.  I began to see that the base design was most likely meant for geographical identification which led me to understand the next element, the lighthouse.

A quick internet search revealed two lighthouses in the Milwaukee area, with the closer one being the Pierhead Lighthouse in red and black--the other was all white.  Believing that the Pierhead lighthouse better conformed to heraldic rules of tincture, I selected this one to recreate.  Typically, trimounts in base are rendered as a metal and white became the logical solution working perfectly with the red and black lighthouse.

The sun placed behind the lighthouse would be rendered in its proper colors.  So, now we turn to the chief.

Attributed arms of St. James
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025.

Dorling (1911) describes the attributed arms to St. James as: Azure, three escallops Or (p 140).  So, if the designer of the parish's coat of arms was a purist, blue might be the color of the chief and gold for shells.  However, there is another option which is equally attractive and works within our proposed scheme for the base.  

Using a red chief with white shells would provide differencing and at the same time create something unique for parish identification.  Below is an illustration to better understand what I mean here.

Comparing the color and metal of the arms' chief.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I do believe that any one of these four could work, each presenting artistic benefits for identification.  However, we have to make some sort of guess.

The coat of arms of St. James' Episcopal Church (Milwaukee, WI)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

My first instinct was to believe the chief was red and the shells white so as to provide contrast against the barry wavy lines while drawing out the red from the lighthouse.

Another reasonable option for the arms of St. James' Episcopal Church
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

However, the more I think about the options, I'm now of mind to go with the blue chief and gold shells.  Again, without a blazon at present its truly anyone's guess.  

I'll continue to see what I can find out about these lovely arms to settle the matter of its blazon.  Which do you prefer?

Works Cited

Dekay, Ekford. (1993).  Heraldry in the Episcopal Church.  Acorn Publishing.

Dorling, E.E. (1911).  Heraldry of the church.  Mowbray Publishing.

The Unusual Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida

 

Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida (1), it's cathedral Trinity (2),
and Church of the Incarnation (Miami, FL)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

When the Episcopal Diocese of Florida was divided into four dioceses (Florida, Southeast, Central, and Southwest) in 1969, Dekay (1993) notes that all three of the new dioceses retained various elements from the former see's seal.  Thus, the very intricate bordure that appears on the arms of both the Dioceses of Southeast and Southwest Florida.  That is all well and good, until I started to find a theme.

Diocese of Southeast Florida and Trinity Cathedral
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Trinity Cathedral in Miami is the seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Southeast Florida and incorporates a "Chief of the Diocese of Southeast Florida" to show unification.  

Coat of arms, Church of the Incarnation (Miami, FL)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I was very intrigued to stumbled upon the coat of arms of the Church of the Incarnation which uses the same chief for the same reason.  Believe it or not, I had no idea what the unicorn symbolized in Christianity.  Well, it's the perfect representation of the Incarnation.  

Works Cited

Dekay, Ekford. (1993).  Heraldry in the Episcopal Church.  Acorn Publishing.

Recent Finds Part IV

I will freely admit to having way too much fun hacking my way through the jungles of the Internet in search of good heraldry for US corporate arms.  So far, I've been holding strong with the Episcopal Church, and I've collected 96 designs for cathedrals, parishes, and a few schools.  It has been a welcomed break from my usual la Rose research and I am learning a lot as I attempt to emblazon many of those arms I find. 

For today's installment, I have nine arms of Episcopal parishes to share.  I'm now having a hard time deciding which ones to post--I have a lot!

Coats of arms of various Episcopal parishes in the US
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Click to enlarge

Top Row (L-R):  St. Matthias (Athens, TX), Christ Church (Pelham, NY), and All Souls (Okinawa, Japan)

Middle Row (L-R):  St. Martin's (Metairie, LA), St. Mark's (Perryville, MD), and Trinity Cathedral (Little Rock, AR)

Bottom Row (L-R):  St. Margaret's (Inverness, FL), Trinity Fort Worth (TX), and St. Giles (Jefferson, ME)

Arms of St. Matthias Episcopal Church (Athens, TX)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Making this tomahawk-like hatchet was fun and these arms are based on the attributed arms of St. Matthias and differenced by the hatchet.  My guess is that the design of the axe is a geographical reference for a First Nations tribe in the Athens, Texas area.

All Souls Episcopal Church (Okinawa, Japan)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Coming all the way from Okinawa, Japan, the arms of All Souls Episcopal Church are simple and lovely.  The arrangement of the doves is the "attributed" symbol for All Souls and can be found in various arms.

Arms of St. Martin's Episcopal Church (Metairie, LA)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I've added St. Martin's in Metairie for their simplicity.  Again, based on St. Martin's attributed arms and then overlaid upon a bordure of St. George to emphasize the parish's Anglican roots.  

Arms of St. Giles' Episcopal Church (Jefferson, ME)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I could only find a line drawing for the arms of St. Giles in Jefferson, Maine, but thankfully it contained hatch marks.  These playful arms incorporate both Maine and references from the saint's attributed arms.

There's more!  I'm beginning to think about what I can do with all these arms and data.  Nothing to announce yet, but definitely the wheels are turning.