By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com
Few residents are aware that a Bluffton church features four of the most unusual emblems ever seen in a church window anywhere.
As a serious student of this community’s church windows, Bluffton Forever believes that the most intriguing, most beautiful and most ornate windows in the village exist in the First United Methodist Church.
The church building, constructed in 1915, obviously had church members belonging to secret and not-so-secret societies and fraternal organizations popular in Bluffton at the time.
Those organization’s insignias–of forgotten organizations today–stand out in three of the church’s windows.
Three windows on the church’s north side carry four such insignias. These include:
• The Grand Army of the Republic emblem
Eagle, cannons, U.S. flag and five-point star
• Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Three links and the all-seeing eye
• Knights of Pythias Lodge
Shield with initials FCB
•Pythian Sisters
Maltese Cross and plumed helmet with crossed halberds covered by a shield bearing initials PFLE
Our theory of how these emblems got here is that members of the congregation belonged to these organizations and paid for the windows or perhaps donations were received from these bodies.
The Grand Army of the Republic emblem may have had the IOOF emblem added to its window because the GAR was full of older men and the GAR Camp may not have had the money for a window by itself.
Go to www.blufftonforever.com for the entire story plus photos.
