Bloomington’s Second Baptist Church is receiving $10,000 to repair wood structure and frame for its stained-glass windows.
Second Baptist, along with 14 other African-American historical sites in the state, are receiving grants for restoration. Grants total $205,000 and are being distributed from the Standiford H. Cox fund and the Dovie Stewart Cox and Chester A. Cox Sr. Memorial fund.
Indiana Landmarks Vice President of Preservation Services Mark Dollase said the buildings receiving funding represent diverse heritage state- and nationwide.
“These places are tangible links to our history,” Dollase said. “You can go up and actually touch them and so making sure that they survive is an important part of why he (Standiford Cox) set up this program the way he did.”
The church received money from the Cox fund a couple years ago for a previous project.
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Second Baptist has served the community since 1913. It was designed by African-American architect Samuel Plato. At the time, it was the first church built of stone by Blacks in Indiana. In 1873, members had purchased the land, completing a frame building in 1890. Until then, members worshipped in various homes.
Martha Chamberlain, church trustee and grant writing chair, said the wood outside around the stained-glass windows, located on the north end of the church’s sanctuary room, is rotting. Inside, the paint underneath the window has begun to peel due to water damage.
“We love our stained glass window, and they just bring such beautiful lighting into the church on such a beautiful morning,” Chamberlain said. “And we want to preserve the stained glass window as they are, and then we want to do whatever's necessary for the whole church in order to preserve the church for years to come.”
She said last year the church noticed the rotting wood around the window when the church was getting its roof replaced due to water leakage.
Repairing the wood consists of taking off the window cover, then repairing the wooden frame of the window, painting and getting the window cover placed back on, she said.
“So, nothing is free. So, it's a cost all the way around,” Chamberlain said.
The repairs start Monday and should take five to seven days. Chamberlain said it will not affect any church services. She hopes the stained-glass windows themselves can remain untouched during the repair process.
She said the wooden framed structures around the other stained-glass windows seem to be undamaged, but plans to have them checked.
“I'm proud of the fact that I attend a mostly, predominantly Black African-American church in Bloomington, Indiana, and that it was started by Afro-American people, and it was the drawing was built, drawn by Afro-Americans,” Chamberlain said. “So, it's like preserving our history, preserving our heritage. So we are very proud of that, and we often tell our children about that as well.”
