Marked by a tall, brick steeple on the corner of Second Avenue and Croy Street in Hailey, the Emmanuel Church is the oldest church building in Hailey, and the oldest Episcopal Church still in use in Idaho.
Since the 1880s, the congregation has been reading bible verses and psalms on stained glass memorial windows above the sanctuary.
This summer, three of the church's 16 windows will be taken to Portland, Ore., by glass artisan David Schlicker for an eight-week restoration process. After hanging for more than 120 years, the windows have come loose in their frames. Schlicker will disassemble them, repack them with putty and re-assemble them to make them more secure and air-tight.
The church has one window above the front door, six along each wall and three above the altar. The other 13 windows will be refurbished as time and money allow.
The windows are decorated with symbolic references memorializing early church members, including Alexander Culbertson (1809-1897), founder of the first permanent, non-native settlement in Montana.
Until the windows are returned to the church in early September, clear glass replacements will keep out the wind and weather, allowing more light than usual to fill the church interior.
"When they are back in place they will last another 80 to 100 years," Schlicker said.
The restoration of the first three windows at Emmanuel Church will cost $25,000 dollars, $8,000 of which will be paid by a grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust. The church congregation is working to raise the remaining $17,000 of the cost by hosting fund-raising dinners.
Schlicker said it would cost about $8,000 each to build the windows from scratch today.
"Their historical and sentimental value to the church is a lot more than that," he said.
"These windows are a unique and historic jewel for this community," said Hailey resident John Chapman, who sits on the board of trustees of the Idaho Heritage Trust and is a life-long member of Emmanuel Church. "They need to be protected for all of the members of this community."
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Stained glass specialist David Schlicker of Portland, Ore., prepares a memorial window in Hailey’s Emmanuel Church for removal. Three of the church’s 16 stained-glass windows are being brought to Portland for an eight-week restoration process. Photo by Willy Cook
