History of Pane
PENN TWP — When Nixon United Methodist Church commissioned its stained glass windows in 1924, the price tag was $1,200.
According to the original bill of sale, the church paid cash for about 15 windows of various sizes. The windows were shipped in late November on the Butler Short Line trolley. They arrived at the Nixon Station, now the headquarters of the Sing Hosanna! theater group on Airport Road.
Times have changed, but some of history is being preserved: As of May 31, the opalescent windows are being removed and restored by the same glass studio that created them.
“The windows at Nixon are very representative of what we did during that period,” said Kirk Weaver, a third generation owner of Pittsburgh Stained Glass Studios, once called the Pittsburgh Art Glass Co.
“No one else was doing that palette of color,” he said.
The colors Weaver describes include cantaloupe, lavender and icy greens accented by neighboring purples and blues.
Named after the appearance of opals, the American opalescent glass is streaked with color to result in a milky, iridescent look. Unlike antique pot-metal glass that is translucent and often looks dark when viewed from outside, Weaver said opalescent windows reflect and retract light to exhibit color when viewed from inside or out.
According to the Rev. Bruce Merritt, pastor at Nixon for five years, the restoration will focus largely on the lead strips that hold the glass together.
At one time, insurance companies required or recommended mounting a protective sheet on the outside of the windows, which over time compromised their strength.
“(The Plexiglas storm windows) trapped heat and caused the lead and soldering to buckle and dry out,” Merritt said.
Although the windows are insured for more than $1 million, Nixon's insurance company today no longer requires a covering, he added.
Since restoration for all Nixon windows is estimated at about $150,000, the small congregation has planned the project in phases, the first of which includes three large pieces on the sanctuary's south side.
Lorry Donaldson, who coordinated much of the fundraising with fellow church member Donna Bryant, said the 250-member congregation began raising money last year.
With an anonymous donor pledging $3 per $1 raised, the church embarked on an innovative approach to earn $47,000 for the first phase of the project.“I have been selling things on eBay for a time privately,” Donaldson explained. “I volunteered to sell things if people had things (to donate).”As a result, the church earned about $14,000 by posting the donated treasures.“It was a real eclectic mix,” she said. “We had some jewelry, purses, hats.”With shipping costs affecting online commerce, Donaldson said many of the profits came from selling antique books, shipped at a special media rate.Although multiple people donated books, many were histories from the 1800s. One of those was purchased for inclusion in the National Archives.Other items shipped to Spain, Japan, France, Australia and other distant locales, she added.As another way to obtain eBay merchandise, the church arranged to remove unwanted contents of homes that were recently vacated.“(And) Donna got a lot of things from garage sales and flea markets,” Donaldson added, noting in the end the church conducted a sale of its own.“It became a full-time job,” she said of the duo's successful efforts.“We have very generous members — both financially and with their hearts,” Merritt said, adding the community also supported the church, a longtime hub for various community events.Once restored, the windows will be part of that hub well into the future: According to Weaver, they will endure for 80 to 100 more years.Their return is expected by October.Those wishing to donate to the project can call the church at 724-586-7372 or mail a check to Nixon United Methodist Church, 334 Airport Road, Butler, PA 16002.
