Stained Glass Windows Restored In 100-Year-Old Church

By Joel Hillan

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The historic stained glass windows in the United Methodist Church in Hygiene had been around for over 100 years and were in pretty bad shape.

The windows were dedicated in a special service on Sunday.

"You could see daylight through them. The lead was falling out. Some of the glass was real loose in it," said Andrew Earnst, a trustee for the church.

"That big window over there was being held in with just one screw at the top. It was all rotted, you could see daylight and then it was mismatched," said Jill Tompkins a member of the congregation.

Tompkins also helped write the grants that would make the restoration possible.

The restoration project would take three different grants totaling over $75,000.

For the church to unlock that money they would have to raise 25 percent in matching funds. A task that would take 13 years to accomplish.

"What I learned about this church is that they are steadfast," said Dawnmarie Fiechtner. She's been pastor of the congregation for the last four years.

"They really see their vision and their purpose and regardless of the years of bumps and bruises along the way to get the grants that we needed, they came through and they stood by each other, they wrote the articles they needed to write, they raised the money and they were able to be strengthened even more," she said.

"It was quite a project. I'm glad it's over," said Earnst laughing.

The results are stunningly beautiful.

"It makes this church come alive I think. The windows allow God's light to come in and we hope we can take that light and share it with the world," said Earnst.

"Cleaning up the windows and making the light be able to shine out is going to continue to support the church and bring people in," said Tompkins.

Joel Hillan anchors CBS4 This Morning on weekends as well as reports stories for CBS4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. Follow Joel on Twitter @joelhillan.