Historic windows shed light onto downtown's past

Church hopes to restore landmark, By Stacey Mason Sparta - At first glance, the old church across from the squad building on Sparta Avenue looks pristine. It is the first of Sparta’s historic sites to be named to the state and National Register and maintains the typical small-town feel of a white clapboard church. Owned by the Institute for Spiritual Development (ISD) since 1994, the building dates back to 1868, when the it was the Methodist Episcopal Church. Still referred to as “the old Methodist Church,” it hasn’t really been that since the congregation moved to it’s current location on Lafayette Road in 1968. According to Ed Fritsch, President of Sparta Historical Society, the face of the building was altered in the early 1900s. The main entrance was moved, the steeple was changed, and alterations were made to the inside staircase. Some of the stained glass windows were replaced at the time with a relatively new process at the time, called Tiffany and LaFarge. This process used leaded glass and although it has lasted about one hundred years, the lead has gotten soft and deteriorated, thus loosening the glass. The church has found a company in Clifton called J&R Lamb Studios, Inc. that specializes in architectural stained glass to remove the panes and restore the windows. The front window was replaced in October 2004. A second one is currently being restored, the evidence of which is a boarded-up frame and third window is in dire need of the same attention. There are a total of nine windows at least ten feet tall that eventually need replacing, each costing $14,000. Unfortunately, the disrepair does not stop there. The steeple is leaking, rotting the wood that supports it. As this problem has been ongoing, the steeple has now swiveled to the left and leans backward. A crane will be needed to remove the steeple and rebuild it. A peek into the steeple area is only accessible through the attic. The narrow, rickety stairs that lead to the attic are so tight they hardly allow a normal sized adult to squeeze through. (This attic is the former choir loft of years past.) As part of the steeple renovation, the stairway will also need replacing to make this space more accessible and safe. “We are trying to save a bit of history and keep the integrity of the building,” said Kathy Kerston, Director of ISD. “Right now, it’s like the leaning tower of Pisa!” The church has dedicated uncountable hours to fundraising for the restoration of this historic building. Although the parishioners and public have been involved in adding to the accumulation of funds, there is so much more help needed in saving the deteriorating building. ISD holds a physic fair on the last Friday of every month which includes 15 minute card/palm readings from 7 to 9 p.m. No appointments are necessary, it’s a first come, first serve basis. 15 minute readings cost $25 for non-members and $20 for members. They also hold 30-minute astrology readings for $35. For more information, call 973-729-8261 or visit their website at www.isd-sparta.org. Check the website for details on their upcoming one day event, physic fair expo in the fall. Monetary donations can be sent to their treasurer, Myrtle Knight, Institute of Spiritual Development, 15 Sparta Ave., Sparta, NJ 07871. Checks made payable to ISD.