Historic Tiffany Stained-Glass Windows From Church That Burned Have Been Restored, Will Go Up For Auction
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The stained glass windows from St. James Church on Wabash Avenue are a rare part of Chicago history, and many thought they were lost forever.
St. James Church itself was gutted by fire nearly 50 years ago, and later ended up facing the wrecking ball. But as CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reported Tuesday, the windows have been found and restored.
Randy Donley said he has never seen stained-glass windows like them in the 45 years he has been handling auctions.
Now, his company, Donley Auctions, plans to auction off the 140-year-old windows later this month.
"I do believe that these windows should fetch between $100,000 and $300,000 apiece," he said.
That's because the windows are one of a kind.
"When you see a Tiffany, you know a Tiffany," Donley said.
And the immigrant parishioners of St. James Parish, formerly at 2942 S. Wabash Ave. wanted the best for their house of worship when they hired master craftsman Louis Comfort Tiffany to create as many as half a dozen of the windows in 1880.
"At that period of time, (Tiffany) was doing all of his own work," Donley said.
The windows graced the church for nearly a century.
"If you look at the glass, it's not actually painted," an expert said. "You see that sunbeam coming down right onto the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus – that's actually look at that sunbeam it's in the glass.
But then, flames broke out at the church in 1972. The fire burned at the church for more than eight hours, and when it was done, the interior of the church was destroyed – and the largest Tiffany window was gone.
A book on Tiffany glass mentions the St. James windows, but it also says they were shattered. But not all were – thanks in part to restoration architect Paul Straka, who was brought in to restore the church.
"It was a labor of love for me," Straka said.
Straka, now 80, said the church needed funds in order to rebuild, so he bought the windows and stored them in his Riverside home for more than 40 years. He sold them recently for $5,000.
"It was more important to me that they be restored than a dollar amount," Straka said.
Touch of Beauty Brass and Lighting owner Roger Merenkov bought the windows in weathered condition after he was contacted by Straka. He said working on them was emotional.
"These glorious windows that were essentially bought and paid for by poor Irish immigrants for pennies and nickels on the South Side for God's house, need to live again," Merenkov said. "They're truly part of Chicago history, thought to have been lost, now have been found.
All the people involved say they hope the windows remain in Chicago, hopefully in a public place like the Art Institute.
St. James Church was demolished in 2013.