First United Methodist, Helena

This photograph is eleven months old. I took it when I was working on the former Temple Beth El, which is a block away. I stopped at the church office to ask if they would entertain a bid to replace all that nasty opaque plastic in front of their stained glass windows. I was about a month too late, as they had just signed a contract with Soos Stained Glass to do just that.

I read on the church's Facebook page that the job was finished in November. I'm sorry I don't have an updated picture, but I imagine it now looks as though the church has once again opened its eyes.

On the one hand, it's a shame that so many congregations bought into the fevered pitches of Plexiglas salespeople in the 70s and 80s to cover up their windows with plastic. Churches only wanted to protect their windows and maybe realize some energy savings in the process. All too often what they ended up with was a covering that soon became yellow and opaque and was usually not properly ventilated either, so that condensation tended to form, drip, and rot sills.

On the other hand, it's good that so many churches these days are reversing the trend. Some are going back to no protective covering at all, but most opt to cover their windows with vented tempered glass. The windows can once more breathe and the stained glass can be seen again from the outside.

But even with the blind windows, this is a pretty church. I'm afraid, though, I know little of its history.

Centennial Baptist, Helena

The current issue of the Arkansas Times has a story titled "Centennial Church is falling down." Here's photographic evidence.

Built in 1905, the church stands testimony to the perseverance of its founders, E.C. Morris and Henry James Price, as well as the Delta's African-American community. It's on shaky ground now, though, as politics and money stand in the way of preserving the structure.

It's been over a decade since the last services were held at Centennial. The steel girders were erected as a temporary means of holding things together until the funds could be raised to do the job right, but doing so has proven to be difficult, to say the least. It's a shame, really, that feelings of pride should be mixed with feelings of hopelessness. Animosity rules in Helena-West Helena.

(That's my brother, Jim, snapping a picture for himself.)

St. John's Episcopal, Helena

While working on Temple Beth El, I happened to glance across the street and saw four of these guys jutting out from the tower atop St. John's Episcopal. I can't recall seeing gargoyles on any Arkansas church before.

church web site

Temple Beth El, Helena

Like Helena in general, the Jewish population of the town has seen better days. When the members of Congregation Beth El reluctantly voted to disband three years ago due to their dwindling numbers, the synagogue they built in 1916 was donated to the city for use as a cultural arts center.

That conversion is now underway. A stage is being built and a geothermal heating and cooling system is being installed. (I have been re-glazing windows here this week for C/M Restoration, just one of the companies involved in the conversion.) When the work is complete, Helena will have a new performance venue that will be mindful of its past. You can read more about that past here.

I lay on the floor between pews to get as much of the stained glass domed skylight in the picture as possible. Still doesn't quite fit.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Helena

St. Mary's steeple, shot from the west.

The steeple from the east.

The church was designed by Charles Eames, the famous furniture designer. Read more about the history of the church and its architecture on the church web site.