first baptist church of brattleboro

Church May Sell Tiffany Window To Benefit Homeless Shelter

Filed under: Art, Charity

A church in Brattleboro, Vermont is hoping for a little divine intervention to keep from selling its prized possession, a stained-glass Tiffany window. The First Baptist Church in Brattleboro, Vermont operates a homeless shelter and the congregation voted to sell off the valuable window if it needs the funds in order to keep the shelter open.

A notice on the church website declares that the church has a mission to serve the needs of the homeless and that it does not want to sell the window if it can help it. The message goes on to define the church as The Homeless Warming Shelter of Brattleboro, Vermont. The shelter provides between 30 and 50 people with a warm place to sleep and a hot meal in the chilly months of December through March. An article in The Art Newspaper reports that small donations have arrived in the last couple of months since the vote to sell the window if necessary was announced. Money raised from the sale of the window would be used for winter heating bills, the homeless shelter and repairs to a leaky roof.

The window depicts St. John the Divine and is signed by Tiffany Studios. It was given in honor of Levi Knight Fuller who died in 1896. He was the former governor of Vermont from 1892-1894 and engineer and vice-president in the Estey Organ company of Brattleboro Vermont. The church has been offered $75,000 for the window but could bring $100,000-$120,000. Reverend Suzanne Andrews holds on to the hope that if it is God's will a donor will come forward to help the church keep the window.

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