Leola Artist Repairs Tiffany Window

Jason Lichty of Leola is an artist with a broad resume. He paints, draws, sculpts, and more, but his love is stained glass, and while he wished to make a career in that area, he did not think it was likely to happen. "I thought for sure the stained glass end of things was just going to be a hobby," said Lichty. "I was convinced it was just going to be an extension of my other artwork."

Not only has Lichty developed a stained glass repair business that has him working "around the clock" and booked up to six months in advance, but in September, collector Bill Hylen, owner of Coming Up Roses Antiques in Adamstown, brought Lichty a Tiffany window to repair. "It's just a thrill of a lifetime," said Lichty, who kept the job a secret until the repair was complete. "There's a really good chance that for the rest of my career, I'll never come across another Tiffany window." Lichty added that his friends who work in stained-glass both locally and around the country are in awe of his opportunity. "They're just blown away," said Lichty.

The window came from the All Angels' Church in New York City and was designed by John B. Snook. The church was founded in 1890, and the Tiffany windows were a commission. The windows were still part of the church when it was sold to be demolished in 1979. The windows were auctioned to Gene Holloway, who had them installed in a Tampa, Fla., restaurant. In 2021, Hylen recognized the Cherub Roundels featured in the windows and purchased them.

Lichty explained that in stained glass, certification of authenticity is called provenance, which he noted could range from a bill of sale to a photograph of a relative with the piece of art 100 years ago. "Fortunately, the All Angels' Church has extensive records on this Tiffany commission, so these are well-known windows," said Lichty.

In his office, Lichty keeps a few examples of windows prior to repair. "You can see (this window is) filthy, and it's buckled," he said, explaining that the warping is caused by expansion and contraction from enduring changes in weather. He noted that the putty that seals the window falls out over time, and the window starts to come apart under its own weight. "Most people who own stained glass, even major churches, don't do the scheduled renovations that are necessary," he pointed out, adding that if repairs are done every so many years, the windows will retain their beauty and integrity for far longer.

According to Lichty, stained glass can often be authentically restored because glass is available from windows that are beyond repair or new glass can be purchased. "The miracle of stained glass is that there's two companies making the same glass since the 1880s," he said, noting that Paul Wissmach Glass Company in West Virginia and have both continued to make the glass they made for Tiffany and for La Farge, the other well-known American stained-glass creator.

For Lichty, a Conestoga Valley High School graduate, working on the Tiffany means he has reached goals and moved beyond. "It was my dream to open up some sort of stained glass repair shop in my hometown," he said. It appears that repairing a Tiffany has been icing on that cake.