Canfield Presbyterian Church’s restored stain glass glows anew

By Billy Ludt

bludt@vindy.com

CANFIELD

The sanctuary walls at Canfield Presbyterian Church are lined with stained-glass windows that have kept its aisles well lit with a range of colors and biblical figures for about a century.

Canfield Presbyterian, 140 Main St., had a dedication ceremony for its full stained-glass window restoration Sunday.

Studio Arts & Glass from North Canton worked with Canfield Presbyterian since January restoring, repairing and replacing stained glass in the sanctuary and other parts of the church.

The total renovation cost was about $100,000.

“The renovation is part of the church growing,” said the Rev. Larry Bowald. “We had many new members join us from other churches that had closed. We just have a lot of new members in the church, and it’s a very active church.”

The company put in the final set of circular stained-glass panels at the church’s peak, facing Main Street, last week.

Studio Arts & Glass removed every contracted panel of stained glass and took them all back to Canton. All their stained-glass work is done in-house.

The church was constructed in 1903 and dedicated in 1904. Minor maintenance was done in the past, but this is the church’s first full stained-glass restoration.

“Some of the glass was loose. You could actually push against the window and the glass would move,” the Rev. Mr. Bowald said. The church was on the fence about repairs or restoration, he said, but ultimately opted for restoration because of water leaking through some of the window panels.

Studio Arts & Glass went through the six-month process of restoring every historic piece of stained glass in the edifice. The stained glass, each with a border of lead, is taken out of the wall, and the openings left behind are replaced by boards.

The panels are taken back to the business, where the glass is cataloged. All the 100-year-old lead is removed, recycled and replaced on the glass.

Every joint on the new lead is soldered together, and glazing cement is forced under the lead. The glass sits for three days so the cement can cure. Each piece is cleaned before being reinstalled.

“Nobody really wants to get close to a $50,000 window,” master craftsman Kirby Tullos said.

Tullos, who has worked in stained glass since he was 19, said area churches’ stained-glass work is among the top 20 percent in the state.

The company subcontracted Coon Caulking & Restoration of Ravenna for brick and stone work and Iron Orchid Forge of Navarre to restore wrought-iron handrails on the church’s stairs and walkways.

The last major construction venture was an addition built on the back of the church in 2009. Mr. Bowald said all the restoration can be viewed as a 10- or 15-year renovation project.

He said more internal work will be done on the church building in the near future as the congregation continues to grow.

“It’s all with the flow of time,” Mr. Bowald said.