HENDERSON COUNTY, Ky. — Step inside the Old English style Pointed Gothic structure at 5 S. Green St., and the walls of St. Paul's Episcopal Church reveal treasure.
That treasure is gleaming even more brightly after some recent attention to the sanctuary's collection of 16 stained glass windows that tell stories of faith.
Stories such as The Good Samaritan, the Life of Saint Paul, Madonna and Child and Jesus Revealing Himself to Thomas, but also the story of a congregation honoring their saints.
That's because many of the stained glass windows were placed many years ago as memorials to someone who had made an impact on the life of the church.
A crew from Church Art Glass of Clinton, Ky., has been doing a variety of repairs on the windows, including cleaning them to remove years of street grime and restore their vibrancy.
"Even lying at the back of the nave," it was noted in a recent edition of the church newsletter, "the beautiful art glass masterworks glow with a radiance they haven't know since they were first installed."
"Most of these windows are at least 100 years old," said Jim Hielshier, who works for the family-owned company that specializes in stained glass restoration and has worked on church windows nationwide. "Some of them were made in Germany."
The windows were added to the nave between the time the church was constructed in 1859 to the 1920s. The oldest window is called "Tree of Life."
The trio of windows behind the altar were made in London and installed in 1890, and depict scenes from the life of St. Paul, including his appearance at the court of King Agrippa, Paul's preaching to the people of Athens in front of the Parthenon and his conversion on the road to Damascus.
The "St. John" window, originally made by the Gorham Company of New York, depicts the "Beloved Apostle" holding his gospel in one hand and a chalice and serpent in the other.
"That window is really intricate," said Hielshier, noting it was one of three that were removed for some more extensive repairs, including releading, resoldering and reassembly. "The glass had separated from the leading and we had to put it back together."
"The Music Window" is a tribute to 26-year church organist professor Caspar F. Artes, a German immigrant and child prodigy born in 1816 who came to Henderson in 1852.
As a child in Germany, he was known as "Little Mozart" and once played a surprise Christmas concert for King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. At St. Paul, he never missed a church service in 30 years and was a dedicated instructor of music to the community as well as the church organist.
Hielshier and project consultant Jamie Purcell of Church Art Glass said they will now cover the cleaned and repaired windows with new high-tech glass covers that will allow proper ventilation and the environment for expansion and contraction in their exposure to the elements.
"After we get done," Purcell said, "these windows will be good for another 200 years."
