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Oct 14, 2024

Harrington Museum celebrates renovations and new stained-glass windows

For the curator of the Harrington Museum, the recent renovations at the building, a former Episcopal church, weren’t business. They were personal. “My grandmother was a devote Episcopalian, as is my

For the curator of the Harrington Museum, the recent renovations at the building, a former Episcopal church, weren’t business. They were personal.

“My grandmother was a devote Episcopalian, as is my entire family. But she always loved this little church. So I will admit to a few tears about this project because my grandmother was truly the matriarch of my family and this was for her as much as the museum,” said Doug Poore, who has been a member of Greater Harrington Historical Society for over 30 years.

“When my grandparents and my mom moved here from Philadelphia in the late 1940s, this is the church they attended,” Poore said.

The renovations, completed in August, involved some detective work about what St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, known as “The Little Red Church,” looked like when it was built in the 1870s on Fleming Street.

The church was abandoned in the 1960s but was purchased in 1979 by John Satterfield and donated to the Greater Harrington Historical Society. Volunteers joined with the group's members to renovate the building and open it as a museum.

But some important artifacts were missing – most of the chapel's original stained-glass windows. Only one, known as the “rose window,” was found and reinstalled.

A major part of the 2024 renovation was recreating the other stained-glass windows, based on what could be seen in old photos.

The historical society hired Greg Stefan Studios of Philadelphia, which also created stained glass for The Quoin hotel and restaurant in Wilmington among dozens of recent projects.

More about The Quoin:5 new places to eat in Delaware: Hotel rooftop bar, Chancery Market & more

Stefan said he and his team spent time “learning about the history of Harrington and understanding the details of recreating the stained-glass artwork that was once in the museum."

“The amount of knowledge, kindness and time that was given from the Greater Harrington Historical Society to us prior to executing the fabrication of the windows is was what made the outcome a great success,” he said.

He and his staff thought the windows looked good in their studio, and their confidence increased while installing them.

“The reactions of everyone who was walking past and the positive and happy reaction from the staff of the historical society reassured us that we hit our mark,” Stefan said.

He and his staff felt a sense of pride knowing they are a small part of Harrington’s future by helping with this tribute to the town’s past, he said.

To Poore, the new windows have made a dramatic difference to both the exterior and interior of the former church.

“It truly has created a beautiful look and feel to the structure,” Poore said.

However, the stained-glass process was the easy part.

Stefan said his staff’s biggest challenge was taking on the task of painting the exterior of the museum including the window trim, matching the colors while working during the heat in July and August on ladders and aerial lifts.

The project also included wood repairs to the exterior of the building, repairs to the bell cradle in the steeple and reinstalling the cross on top of the steeple.

Historical society volunteers spent over 300 hours on the project, first moving every artifact to allow access to the windows and then bringing back the artifacts and adjusting the displays.

City Manager Norman Barlow said the renovations not only look great but are also symbols of progress and preservation.

“It means a lot for our town, to keep the heritage and to keep it looking nice, moving in the right direction,” Barlow said. “It’s very important – as generations go by, businesses change, the town changes – to preserve this history. I think it’s wonderful. It’s a good place for people to go and reminisce, and it’s educational for school children and adults.”

More historical topics:What's the oldest city in Delaware? It's complicated

The renovation projects began in July and were finished in time for the unveiling at Harrington Heritage Day on Aug. 24, but getting to the starting line took much more time.

First, Poore and the historical society wrote grant requests and were awarded $100,000 by the Crystal Trust and $10,000 from the Delaware Preservation Fund.

Without the grants, Poore said the project wouldn’t have been possible: “There is no way our small organization could have raised the funds. We can never say thank you enough to the Crystal Trust for believing in us.”

With about 80 members – all volunteers – the historical society’s annual operating budget is around $35,000, with $20,000 coming from the state’s grant-in-aid program. New members are welcome as are donations, Poore said.

Founded in 1977, the historical society’s first museum was in the corner of the insurance company office of one of the founding members.

In 1981, the group opened the museum at the former St. Stephen’s Church on Fleming Street. Today it is filled with items from the former Harrington High School, country schools, African American schools, local churches, civic organizations and a military showcase.

To house the growing collection of artifacts, in 1987 the group built the annex next door, named after Pauline Satterfield, with items such as the store counter and soda fountain from Burton’s Sport Shop, a seed cabinet from Taylor’s Hardware, a horse-drawn funeral coach and a model of the town from in the early 1900s.

Then in 1993, two blocks away on Hanley Street, the group saved a local landmark from destruction, preserving the railroad tower and a caboose that are now filled with railroad tools, uniforms and memorabilia.

The three museums house over 50,000 artifacts, some dating back to the early 1700s.

The main museum and annex are open the first Sunday of each month from noon to 5 p.m. and the third Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m., and by appointment. The railroad tower and caboose are open by appointment and during special town events.

To arrange tours outside regular hours, email [email protected] or call 302-398-3698.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at [email protected].