Grant Powers Restoration of Ithaca Church Windows

Grant Powers Restoration of Ithaca Church Windows

A New Lift for a Long Restoration Effort

The First Baptist Church in Ithaca has received fresh support in its ongoing plan to restore its stained glass windows. The New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Program awarded the church a grant of seven thousand five hundred dollars on September twelve. This funding will help repair two of the historic windows that have shaped the identity of the church for more than one hundred years. It is also the only church in Ithaca to receive this support in the current cycle.

The Sacred Sites Program provides financial help to religious communities across New York that work to preserve historic structures. Many of these buildings are centers of worship, but they also serve their neighborhoods in practical ways. They offer space for community programs, social activities and cultural events. The goal is not only to save old buildings, but to keep them active and useful for the public.

Decades of Support and Ongoing Preservation

The First Baptist Church has held a strong relationship with the Sacred Sites Program for more than thirty five years. The church requests support every few years to continue restoring six stained glass windows crafted in the late eighteen hundreds. The restoration effort began in twenty eleven when experts warned that the windows were reaching a fragile state. The pieces show figures such as St Agnes, St James, St Catherine, St Cecilia, St John and Dorcas. Each window carries a story, and each one has become part of the church’s long memory.

Two windows remain in need of full restoration. These will be repaired in twenty twenty six using the new grant. For many members, completing this work is an important milestone. The windows are not only artwork. They are reminders of faith, tradition and the people who built the church more than a century ago.

A Building with Deep Historic Roots

Colleen Heemeyer, director of the Sacred Sites Program, said the church stands out because of its historic value. It is part of both a local and a national historic district. She explained that the building has served more than its congregation across many decades. In nineteen eleven, it hosted sessions for the New York State Woman Suffrage Association during its forty third annual convention. The building later offered space for Planned Parenthood’s office and clinic in the nineteen seventies when the organization needed a home in Ithaca.

These moments highlight the church’s role as a community partner and not only a place of worship. Heemeyer said the Sacred Sites Program looks closely at how religious buildings contribute to the wider public. She noted that many sites offer programs that go beyond services. They host art shows, local meetings and educational activities. They become gathering points that help build connection among neighbors.

First Baptist continues to follow this pattern. Heemeyer shared that the church welcomes more than four thousand people each year through the many programs and events held inside the building. For her, this wide community impact played a major role in securing the grant.

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Why the Stained Glass Needs Urgent Care

The need for restoration became clear in twenty eleven when stained glass expert Tony Serviente examined the windows. Serviente owns a stained glass studio in Ithaca. He explained that the windows were weakening because of changes in the lead used to hold the glass. Stained glass windows are built using lead channels called cames. These channels frame each piece of colored glass and keep the window stable. This method has been used for more than one thousand years.

Over time, lead reacts with the environment. Moisture, air and temperature changes slowly affect the metal. Serviente said that lead can shift into lead carbonate. Once this change happens, the metal becomes brittle and weak. It loses its ability to support the glass. If left untouched, parts of the window could sag, crack or collapse.

He said stained glass windows often need expert repair after about one hundred years. Since the windows were created around eighteen ninety, the timing is right. The restoration process takes time. Each window must be removed, cleaned and strengthened. The work is delicate and requires special skill. Grants make this level of preservation possible.

A Community That Finds Strength in Shared Space

For many people connected to the First Baptist Church, the building is more than a historic site. It is a place of belonging. Once someone finds a community that accepts and supports them, they rarely want to leave. The church provides comfort, especially for those who value worship alongside others.

Research from the National Library of Medicine shows that being part of a shared faith community can support emotional and physical wellbeing. People often feel encouraged when they sit in a room filled with others who share similar beliefs and struggles. The act of gathering can bring hope and strength.

Members say that being in a physical space helps them remember that they are not alone. It also helps them stay grounded in their walk of faith. The church offers a sense of unity that is hard to find elsewhere.

Looking Ahead with Hope and Purpose

The new grant marks an important step in a project that has stretched across many years. The effort to save the windows is also an effort to protect the history of the church. When the final two windows are restored in twenty twenty six, the church will complete a major chapter in its preservation journey.

For now, the grant ensures the work will move forward. It keeps the windows safe and prepares them to shine for many more years. The First Baptist Church is not only saving glass and metal. It is saving memories, stories and the sense of community that lives within its walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Content Credit : Boluwatife Abiola

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