Church continues project to restore century old stained-glass

This week the First Congregational Church in Redlands began the next step in its restoration of the church's century old stained-glass windows when the large west windows facing Cajon Street were removed for cleaning and restoration.

The brick church at 2 W. Olive Ave. in Redlands was built and the windows installed in 1900. The largest of the windows being restored is a depiction of Christ made by the Tiffany Art Glass Company. The largest window is over eight feet wide and about 22 feet tall and was originally installed in memory of Rev. C.A. Kingsbury, city councilman, school trustee and namesake of Kingsbury Elementary School.

The 100-year-old windows are in need of extensive cleaning and repair due largely to the leading that is breaking down and putting stress and cracks in the glass. There are also thousands of little "pinpricks" where paint has fallen off. The removal and restoration will be done by Judson Studios in Highland Park, Calif. The windows took about four days to remove.

Bob Clark is a member of the church and is leading the five-year window restoration project expected to cost $500,000. So far the church has raised, through five-year pledges, approximately $450,000. From June to September in 2013 the project began with the removal and restoration of the south facing window on Olive Street.

"I'm overwhelmed to see the congregation being so supportive - and we're not huge just maybe 500 members - in our effort to raise $500,000 dollars," Clark said about the congregation's willingness to support such a large project. "We have also had neighboring churches donate."

Clark said the need for restoration was demonstrated when the south facing window returned after being restored By Judson Studios. The windows returned much clearer and with more vibrant colors.

"We're really lucky to have them this close," Clark said about Judson Studios. "They're probably the best in the country and we're lucky to have them this close."

According to Clark, when the window was first returned the choir, which stands facing the window, would become distracted by the beauty of the window and just stare.

"It was real surprise how much brighter they were," Pastor Lowell Lindon said. "You have to remember that those windows were exposed for all the years that smudging was part of the process of raising oranges here in Redlands and that smudge [used to protect the orchards from frost damage] got all over everything."

"Because this window was made by Tiffany Co. the window is irreplaceable," Clark said. "The Tiffany glass is like an onion made with layer upon layer of glass so you can see a lot of depth in it."

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Church continues project to restore century old stained-glass