The front door of the Loudon House holds a few small fragments of the original stained glass used throughout
the building.
Shirley Hudson was eager to talk about these pieces of glass, and her dreams of writing a grant to recreate the many original pieces that are missing. Professionally, she designs and creates stained glass to match (or compliment) historic homes.
She told me a beautiful story of waking-in the dark of night-to see a burning church
across the street. She watched from the porch
as the flames illuminated the large stained glass windows from inside.
Finally, the church was destroyed.
Shirley's husband, Dick, asked if he could remove the undamaged windows, but could not find anyone willing to formally part with them. They were still in the building on the day it was demolished. Thankfully Dick was fast
enough to save a few of the windows as the bulldozers flattened the remaining
structure. He also created a knee wall with stones salvaged from the
church.
Shirley and Dick Hudson play guitar together and sing to each
other regularly. Dick has been singing to Shirley for decades--orginally as a
teenager, and a member of a band that Shirley danced to in the basement
of Loudon House.