The current First United Presbyterian Church building in Antwerp Ohio was completed in 1902. It is all original construction including the stained glass. You may have noticed this past summer, a mason who specializes in preserving and restoring historical brick came and did some much needed maintenance on the limestone and brick exterior surface of the building. The historical accounts of the building of this church at the corner of Cleveland and River Streets lists the costs for the brick work, the stone work, the carpentry, finishing work, and stained glass. The description of the stained glass as recorded by the church historian is very detailed:
“The windows are of best opalescent glass. The large window in the front has an emblem and “Christ in Gethsemane”, this being a memorial to Elder Thomas Gordon and Mrs. Sarah J Gordon by their son, H.H. Gordon. On either side are memorial windows to Jane R. North and Isaac and Sarah Woodcox, the former by Naomi H. Osborne and the grandchildren of Mrs. North. The second window by Mrs. Alzada Champion in honor of her foster mother, Aunt Sally Woodcox. The window on the east side with the emblem of the sheaf of wheat and the words “I am the bread of Life” is in memory of Elder Jesse Pocock by his children. On the west side with emblem and anchor is a memorial to Henry B. Ferguson by Mrs. Lydia A. Ferguson. The companion window having as its emblem a harp, is a memorial to Ruby M Hallock by her mother. Back of the choir space, Phoenix P. Doering placed a window in memory of his son, Clyde Doering. The emblem is a dove.”
Some of these names are very familiar to the area, and are steeped in Antwerp History. The congregation are compelled to secure the legacy of this building for not only its historical value to the community but also as a church family. These windows, which are about 120 years old, are in need of restoration to preserve them for the future generations. A committee of dedicated congregants _ Kevin Woodcox, Diana Watson, Joel Wiechart – have embarked on a fundraising effort to restore the stained glass to their original glory. The price tag for the entire project is $150,000. They understand that this is a huge project and will probably be done in stages for affordability. Some fund-raising efforts have already taken place – Day in the Park Food Tent, the Annual Fish Fry on Good Friday, a women’s group will have a table at the Antwerp GMC’s Craft Bazaar in November. They also launched a letter campaign to area businesses for sponsorship.
There is a stained glass restoration business in Ottoville – Window Creations LLC — who the congregation has been in contact with about this project.
If interested in contributing to these historical efforts for the First United Presbyterian Church congregation, please contact Diana Watson or Sue Fowler or send a message to First United Presbyterian Church of Antwerp on Facebook.
