[MassHistPres] Fitchburg Tiffany Stained Glass

[Tristram Metcalfe]

Keith,
The Tiffany at 1st Church in Northampton was about to be sold to eliminate their renovation mortgage but fortunately it was mainly stopped by the church having accepted CPA money for their roof. Had it been sold it would have been an additional crime to sell it following public money given them for restoration. They also held Paul Revere silver sets hidden in vaults not up for sale which would not be a similar loss to the public historic built environment. The public built environment is so poorly treated due mainly to the ignorant lack of appreciation of architecture and its historic values.

Maybe make the appeal to save your Tiffany by it being an attraction for donations to restore it and other building issues. In Amherst their church Tiffany is lighted both externally and internally for public view at night. An historic attraction of a Tiffany is an asset that can have financial benefits into the future for fundraising. 

https://www.masslive.com/news/2014/04/treasured_tiffany_window_at_no.html <https://www.masslive.com/news/2014/04/treasured_tiffany_window_at_no.html>

Tris Metcalfe, AIA
Northampton
PS
I restored my junk yard find badly deteriorated Tiffany era, 4ft x 8ft, 2 to 5 layers of stained glass window simply by removing the ugly cross bars that covered important glass imagery and sandwiched it between two plate glass panes avoiding all the putty, the rotted lead and the cracked glass structural problems. It made it look better than original without the steel bars while also becoming stronger to sag and more weather tight and historically protected even though mine is an interior window. Churches can save a lot this way if their windows need restoration preservation. 

> On Dec 13, 2019, at 3:57 PM, D. Keith Chenot <kchenot at fitchburgstate.edu> wrote:
> 
> The Fitchburg Historical Commission has been informed that the congregation that currently owns the National Register listed Calvinistic Congregational Church (Inventory No: FIT 215) is planning to sell five Tiffany stained glass windows to assist with other upkeep expenses of this grand 1897 “Richardsonian” style brownstone church. Does anyone have experience or suggestions on how we might alter this outcome? As a backup, we are hoping to make a photographic record of each if we can secure the funding.
> 
> Keith Chenot, Fitchburg Historical Commission
> 
> 
>  
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