By Avice Meehan

After a pause to raise the funds needed rebuild the iconic steeple that rises above Church of Christ meeting house, a group of Norfolk residents has restarted the campaign to restore the remaining windows in Battell Chapel and the massive stained glass window in the sanctuary.
Marie Civco, chair of the committee and member of the congregation, said the fundraising goal is $300,000, with approximately $100,000 needed for the two cathedral windows in Battell Chapel alone. Grants have already been received from both the National Iron Bank and the Evan Hughes Charitable Trust.

“This is historic preservation that is done outside of the church’s budget. We are appealing to the community because the windows need to be preserved,” Civco said during a recent walk through the chapel, which represents a visual history of stained glass artistry in the United States. The earlier fundraising effort supported the restoration and preservation of the chapel’s historic Tiffany windows commissioned by Ellen Battell Stoeckel. It also enabled the preservation of the three windows designed by W. Maitland Armstrong that were commissioned by Charles Shepard following the death of his mother-in-law, Urania Battell Humphrey. The restoration included replacement of damaged glass, as well as the installation of safety glass to protect the windows from weather damage.

Fundraising paused in 2019 when the protecting the steeple emerged as a higher priority, and that left the chapel’s cathedral windows untouched. Both were originally exterior windows and also designed by Maitland, but one is now enclosed in the addition that includes the church offices, meeting rooms and downstairs food pantry. The exterior-facing window, which looks out on the meeting house, is of particular concern.

Civco said the church might seek a grant from Connecticut’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for the windows in the meetinghouse. The soaring windows are made of German Bavarian glass and were manufactured in the same factory as the windows of the St. Martin of Tours Church of the Immaculate Conception Church.

SHPO helped support restoration of the steeple and there is now a small endowment to help with future repairs, thanks to the successful fundraising effort for that work. “We have [received] so many gifts, but they are not endowed,” said Civco, adding that the church depends on support from the broader community. Questions about the windows or the fundraising effort can be directed to Civco at Marie.Civco@gmail.com.