The vibrant colors of a stained-glass window depicting the biblical “Woman at the Well” encounter are once again on display at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Slatington.

Originally installed in 1906, the window graced the front of the church along Second Street until a mid-1950s remodeling prompted its removal.

During this renovation, the window was carefully dismantled and its pieces stored away in boxes.

“Robert Kuntz was in a storage room one day, this was back prior to COVID-19, and he found these boxes and made the church consistory aware of it,” Bruce Martin, a St. John’s UCC member said. “People started talking, and we thought hey wouldn’t it be great to do a project that puts this back together again.”

The “Woman at the Well” depicts the biblical scene from John 4:1-42, where Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, offering her “living water” that symbolizes eternal life and spiritual fulfillment.

“It’s the only place in the Bible where that story is told,” St. John’s UCC Pastor James Levan said.

With the restoration project requiring skilled hands and a deep understanding of stained glass art, the church found an ideal collaborator in Slatington artisan Lawrence Frey. Frey meticulously reassembled the stained glass pieces, ensuring the window regained its former glory.

Unable to locate the window in its original setting, the church opted for a spot on one of the inside walls where it could receive backlighting and be viewed during each service.

“We faced a little hurdle when it came to crafting the window frame and I reached out to Lehigh Career and Technical Institute,” Martin said.

Two students at LCTI, Gage Simpson and Justin Blake, guided by their instructors, first took on the challenge of designing and building a small model of the frame.

The model was put on display at the school’s open house and the actual finished frame, which is a little over nine-feet tall, five-feet wide and 125 pounds, was delivered in May.

“Tom Sharpness, a cabinetmaking instructor at LCTI, really embraced the project as a valuable learning opportunity for his students,” Martin added. “The students and their families were invited to the rededication service in June, where they were recognized for their hard work and craftsmanship. We had a plaque made, stating that the frame was designed and crafted by LCTI students.”

A crew from 3 Daughters Construction in Bath completed the installation.

“The church was always beautiful, but now you’re really in awe,” Levan said of the reinstalled window. “It has generated a really great spirit amongst the congregation. It is really such beautiful art.”

The church held a rededication ceremony on June 23.

“It was very moving,” Martin said. “Most people were emotional because you’re saving something from 1906. I could feel tears.”

The church, in the future, hopes to address the restoration of two additional stained glass windows depicting the crucifixion and resurrection that still remain in storage.