A 2010 photograph of Friedens Lutheran Church, Hegins, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
A significant renovation of this church took place in 1971. A report in the Pottsville Republican of November 13, 1971, told of the renovations that were made and gave details of the upcoming dedication service:
__________________________________
Renovations Completed
Hegins Friedens Church To Be Rededicated
Dr. Wilson E. Touhsaent, president of the Northeast Pennsylvania Synod, will deliver the sermon for the rededication service to be held at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hegins, Sunday.
The Rev. Raymond C. Hittinger, pastor, said this service will mark the culmination of renovations which began June 1 on the nearly 100-year old facility.
Improvements resulting from this renovation includes the change in orientation of the choirs and organ from the front area to the balcony over the narthex.
With the choir pews and organ console and pipes moved to the balcony, the chancel has become more expansive, offering more space for a permanent home for the baptismal font and the relocation of the pulpit and lectern. The organ chamber, where the pipes were contained, has been converted to storage space for altar supplies and furniture with the installation of a retractable fold-down ladder.
The sacristies or small rooms to each side of the chancel, were changed to include a cabinet and sink for the altar Guild’s work, giving them a room of their own and moving the pastor’s equipment to the opposite sacristry with the installation of a new closet.
Organ Rebuilt
The balcony was changed with the installation of new risers in the west side for the choir pews and the leveling of the east side for the placement of a new casework-type organ chamber. The six-rank pipe organ was removed from the church and rebuilt. The balcony floor was covered with foam-backed red-brick effect linoleum, as were the steps leading to the balcony. Access to the attic was improved with the installation of a retractable fold-down ladder.
All of the pews , the pew screens, the pulpit, the lectern, the chancel screens, and the pulpit chairs were removed and refinished.
The main nave floor was sanded and refinished. The complete interior of the nave, chancel, balcony, narthex, sacristies, and first floor vestibule were painted in an off-white color.
A new rest room, rearrangement of radiators and installation of a sink in the Altar Guild sacristy have been completed.
New Lighting
Six new chandeliers in the nave, three down-lights in the chancel, five recessed lights in the balcony, a new switch panel board and new wiring to all lights were installed, also installed a heavy-duty exhaust fan on the west side of the church roof for adequate ventilation.
New varigated red carpet was installed in the chancel, the sacristies, in the aisles, along the pews in the nave, and over the narthex and landings of the stairs.
New storm windows on all stained glass windows around the second floor and new glass for the school area windows on the first floor were installed.
New quarter-inch rubber treads with carborundum non-skid strips were placed on the two stairways leading to the second floor. A new dossal (cloth hanging) in white silk brocade with two orphey bandings in red, black, and gold was placed in the reredos (wood screen) behind the altar. Red material was installed behind the ornamental screens which cover the old organ chamber openings. New Coat and hat racks were placed in the narthex.
The carpenter work was supervised by Stewart Miller with volunteer help from members of the congregation.
This is the first major capital improvements program in Friedens Lutheran Church since 1936-1937 when Friedens United Church of Christ (Evangelical and Reformed) and Friedens Lutheran Church separated as a union church and Friedens U. C. C. built its present structure on Chestnut Street in Hegins. At that time the Lutheran Building was remodeled during the pastorate of Carl H. Moyer.
The renovation procedures during the past months had the two Friedens congregations worshiping in the same building once again as the Lutherans used the United Church of Christ facility from June 1 [1971] to August 15 [1971].
Service at 9 a.m.
The rededication service will begin at 9 a.m. with an organ recital by Mrs. William Gehres of Tremont. Mrs. Gehres received her teacher’s certification from the Art Publication Society, St. Louis, and studied pipe organ with Professor Harold May of Port Carbon. She has served as organist for several Lutheran Reformation Services in the Hegins District.
Dr. Wilson E. Touhsaent, who will give the sermon, was elected to the synod presidency at its organizing convention in October 1968.
Guest soloists will include Mrs. Leon Eshelman, a graduate of West Chester State College and Westminster Choir College. She is choir director at Friedens United Church of Christ, Hegins.
Robert Machamer, Hegins, teacher in the Tri-Valley School District will sing. Both the Junior Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Roy Kline, and the Senior Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Junior Kehler, will also sing.
Following the service, there will be a period for hymn-singing or fellowship after which a congregational dinner will be served in the Sunday School rooms.
___________________________________________
News article from Newspapers.com. Photograph of church from author’s collection.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.