T.W.A. Borgesius

Gothic Church

T.W.A. Borgesius (1902 - 1983) was a Dutch Anchor builder and collector.  His collection was an important part of the Anchor House Foundation (no longer in existence).  He left a number of drawings of his own designs as well as pictures of his beautiful buildings.  This church is a typical design, said to contain 13,940 stones.  The central rose over the main entrance will excite Anchor collectors, but they can relax.  Borgesius did not have some of the (currently) unknown dual color stones.  He painted regular stones to produce two color stones. 


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This close-up of the rose in the front of the church shows the dual color stones quite clearly.  We know that the factory, shortly after Richter's death, began to produce a number of dual color products -- including puzzle pieces and roof stones (Dach Steine) and the special dual color arches which Stephen Hurlbut used for his model of St. Agnes Church in New York.  The last time that model was seen (about 1915 -- I could look up the exact date, but close enough for this part of my page) it was in use as a Christmas display at Marshall Field's, the leading department store in Chicago.

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