Saint Matthew Lutheran Church was given a tremendous gift this winter. This stained glass panel was once part of the original church building that stood on this property until 1969. When the building was demolished to make way for the current sanctuary, the stained glass windows were auctioned off. Several pieces were purchased by an area businessman. This panel has been in storage in pieces in a garage ever since.

It was acquired through a close friend and lovingly restored by Tyler Lukridge, who worked on it daily for more than two months. He estimated that some of the stained glass pieces were more than 150 years old. The wood frame originally came from a barn and was custom built by Tyler. This restoration was a gift for his father Dave Lukridge, a member here at Saint Matthew, who in turn gifted it to the church. Not only does it preserve a big piece of Saint Matthew’s history, but, because it originally was installed in the church property owned by First Presbyterian Church, the restoration works to preserve a bit of Moorestown’s history.