Church Ponders $2 Million Offer For Tiffany Windows

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Mar 30th 2010 at 6:02PM

It seems like these days some churches are finding that their greatest resource might be on their walls. Last month I wrote about a Vermont church that was considering selling its Tiffany windows to fund a homeless shelter. St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Paterson, New Jersey has to make a similar decision. The church isn't in financial trouble but a collector has offered the church $2 million for 13 of its stained glass windows. The church votes tomorrow on whether or not to accept the offer which also includes removal, restoration and window-replacement costs. Louis Tiffany created 12 of the windows at the Diocese of Newark church and artist John La Farge designed the other. The would-be buyer wants to exhibit the works of art this fall and has given the church and April deadline to decide.

According to the Episcopal News Service, a Christie's estimate places the windows' auction value between $1,260,000 and $1,930,000 but an independent appraiser valued them at $2,515,000, saying that $1,900,000 to $2,300,000 would be a fair price. If the windows aren't sold they may still required a restoration that could cost as much as $500,000. If the church takes the offer and sells the windows the proceeds go into the parish's endowment. St. Paul's runs an after-school program and has a community development corporation that offers programs including a food pantry and men's shelter.

St. John's Episcopal Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, sold three of its Tiffany memorial windows and may sell more. Some churches are finding that while attendance is up, the demographics have changed so the general endowment is shrinking. Beauty, tradition and heritage or the chance to possibly do more good and protect against an uncertain future, it's not an easy choice for any organization to make.

Tags: church, st pauls episcopal church, tiffany window, tiffany windows

Filed under: Charity

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Elizabeth Kessin Berman Mar 31st 2010 1:40PM

Diedre, Thanks for posting this and your earlier blog about a Vermont church that is also selling its important holdings. During the past ten years, historic churches in Massachusetts have also been selling off Colonial furniture and important silver. I wrote at length about this trend in an up coming article in the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies, 2010. I'd be happy to send you an advance copy.
Elizabeth Kessin Berman, A.A.A.
www.collectionsincontext.com