Community invited to paint temporary murals for vandalized Old St. Stephen's Church

Matthew Bennett, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·2 min read

Sep. 8—The interior of Old St. Stephen's Church in downtown Longmont has been noticeably darker ever since 12 of its stained glass windows were destroyed by two separate acts of vandalism last month.

That's because many of the historic building's windows have remained boarded up with plywood, following the incidents occurred on Aug. 11 and Aug. 24.

At ArtWalk on Main this Saturday, community members of all ages and skill sets are invited to stop by Old St. Stephen's Church, 470 Main St., and help paint murals on large polyester fabric banners that will later be sealed on top of the plywood.

"It's almost like a giant coloring book page of a stained glass window," said Lisa Barton, whose husband David is pastor of Trailhead Church in Longmont. "Once it's all done, then you hang it like you would a piece of wallpaper in smaller sections."

Trailhead Church rents Old St. Stephen's Church and hosts services within it.

While Barton is spearheading the mural project, members of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church are also lending a helping hand.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church "reached out and offered us their worship space. ...They're so broken-hearted because this church is important to them and their history," Barton said.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church previously occupied the building from 1882 until 1971, when it moved to its current location on Bross Street in Longmont's Southmoor Park neighborhood.

"It's become this wider connection between churches and between community members," Barton said of the project.

The three, temporary murals will be roughly 24 inches wide and 80 inches tall each.

ArtWalk on Main will occur from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Longmont and will include live music, art, shopping and other family friendly activities.

"We're excited to have those murals painted," Alyce DeSantis, St. Vrain Historical Society executive director, said. "It will, for sure, brighten up the space."

The St. Vrain Historical Society, which owns the building, has started a GoFundMe to help pay for the damage to Old St. Stephen's Church.