A set of historical windows that have sat in the front porch of a vacant house for years are finding a new home with the Nesquehoning Historical Society.

Earlier this week, borough workers Bob Pilla and Mike Gruber, with the permission of new homeowners, Floyd Day and his son, Brian, removed three century-plus-year-old windows from 111 W. Catawissa St. that will soon be displayed inside the historical society museum on West Railroad St.

“We at the society have had our eye on these 100-plus-year-old windows for years,” the historical society posted on Facebook. “Thank you so much to Bob Pilla and Mike Gruber and the Nesquehoning Borough for allowing these skilled men to remove these historical windows for us. What we thought would be painstakingly hard was done in 15 minutes.”

The windows were from the former business of the late Herbert W. Norwood and include the etching “General Insurance,” “Herbert W. Norwood” and “Justice of the Peace.” A fourth window, which said “Barber Shop,” had been broken years earlier and couldn’t be saved.

Lois Kuba, president of the historical society, said that Herbert Norwood was a staple on the 100 block of West Catawissa. Kuba grew up a few doors down from Norwood’s business.

“(He was) the ultimate gentleman. Dressed impeccably every day of his life,” she said. “He was good to the neighborhood children. He wore many hats. He was just a gem.”

Norwood was a jack-of-all trades for the time, owning and operating a barbershop and insurance agency, serving as a justice of the peace and as the librarian and court crier for the courts of Carbon County.

Norwood grew up enjoying singing and socializing, making his mark on his hometown as a central place for residents to gather while getting a trim or close shave.

After his passing, Norwood’s family donated several of his barbershop items to the historical society, including approximately 50 personalized shaving mugs that were used for miners coming in for a shave.

“The family was very good to the society with memorabilia from the barbershop,” Kuba said, adding that the windows couldn’t be removed at the time of the donation because the family feared it could compromise the structure.”

As the years went on, the building continued to deteriorate and the “barber shop” window pane was broken.

Kuba said former Councilwoman Abbie Guardiani, who had made it her mission to fight blight in the town and stepped in on the historical society’s behalf, worked with the new building owners, who purchased the building in November, to get these windows preserved

Kuba said the new owners were more than happy to allow the borough to remove the windows for preservation after renovations on the building began.

The glass will now be reframed and preserved and then will be hung in the historical society building, showcasing yet another piece of borough history.

“The society is very grateful to the owners, borough for use of employees to preserve our heritage” Kuba said. “We applaud (Floyd Day and his son, Brian Day,) for taking on this venture and restoring the building in our community and graciously gifting the society the windows,” the Facebook post stated. “We at the society can’t say thanks enough to all for letting us preserve this man’s legacy.”