tiffany window

Church Ponders $2 Million Offer For Tiffany Windows

Filed under: Charity

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

Church May Sell Tiffany Window To Benefit Homeless Shelter

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

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.

Tags: brattleboro, first baptist church of brattleboro, FirstBaptistChurchOfBrattleboro, homeless shelter, HomelessShelter, tiffany window, TiffanyWindow, vermont