A Derby church is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever vandalized two expensive stained glass windows there.
The damage was discovered the morning of April 18 at Immanuel St. James Episcopal Church on the east side of the Derby green.
Several rocks were discovered inside the church near the damaged windows, which depict a nativity scene.
“There’s really no logical reason for this to be done,” said Al Smith, an Ansonia resident and the church’s sexton.
James Butler, a member of the vestry at the church and chairman of the city’s tax board, said an insurance adjuster who inspected the damage last week pegged repair costs at $45,000.
Fortunately, the church has a $5,000 deductible on its policy, so they won’t have to pay the whole amount.
“If we didn’t (have insurance) we’d just have to find a way to cover over it on the outside and that would be it,” Butler said. “It’s a shame because they’re beautiful windows. You don’t see this stuff around anymore.”
Even with insurance, though, Butler said, the cost will take its toll on the church, an iconic stone building consecrated in 1843.
“We’ve gone from a very affluent parish to a very small parish,” Butler said. “Something like this you just can’t afford.”
Church officials are arranging with the insurance company for the windows to be repaired “as best as possible” by a company in Pennsylvania.
The entire windows will have to be taken out of the frame and put into a specially built bracket so shipping them won’t cause further damage, Butler said.
The reward money will be put up by the church’s vestry, he said.
Butler urged anyone with information about the vandalism to call the Derby Police Department at 203 – 735-7811.