Thanks to a well-traveled Cullman couple, congregations at two North Alabama Baptist churches are able to enjoy the beauty and craftsmanship of museum-quality religious art.
For Gadsden’s Twelfth Street Baptist Church, the focal point of the Cobb Chapel is a valuable Tiffany stained glass window. Encased in a wooden structure, the window is backlighted to show the rich Tiffany colors to best advantage.
First Baptist Church, Cullman, features an Italian sculpture of the Last Supper in the vestibule of the church.
Both art objects were gifts in the early 1980s from Evelyn Burrow and her late husband, Ottis Burrow, longtime members of First Church, Cullman.
The common denominator for both gifts is the late Herman Cobb, former pastor of both churches and at one time president of the Alabama Baptist Convention.
Lifetime love
“Ottis and I loved antiques, art and collectibles, and we were able to acquire many items when we traveled,” Burrow said.
“At that time, we owned the Holiday Inn in Cullman, which usually was among the top 10 motels in the chain,” she continued.
“So Holiday Inn invited us to openings of their motels in some of the world’s most exciting cities, from Russia to Africa. We combined business with antiquing on many trips.”
The Burrows’ hobby ultimately became a sideline business when they opened an antique store in Cullman.
“One day, Dr. Cobb, who had been my pastor, came to the shop looking for religious art to be placed in the chapel that members of Twelfth Street had named for him,” Burrow said.
“I had a stained glass window that I had bought but never removed from the crate,” she said. “So we donated it to the church in his honor and in memory of his grandson (William Scott Robinson). Later we claimed a $25 income tax deduction. That’s what we paid for it.”
But when the window was uncrated and cleaned, workers discovered that the $25 window donation was a piece of signed Tiffany glass that was worth many times more than its purchase price.
The window depicts Jesus standing with open arms, with a legend above His head saying, “It is I. Be not afraid.” On His left are the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. On the right are the disciples Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Appreciated by church members, it has also inspired Pastor Richard Trader.
“I’ve done a series of sermons on the stained glass windows in our sanctuary and also a sermon on the Tiffany window,” he said.
Burrow added, “We also wanted to give a piece of religious art to our home church, so we donated the sculpture depicting the Last Supper.”
The church has the colorful, delicate sculpture displayed in a protective glass case in the vestibule of the church.
First, Cullman Pastor Edwin Hayes said, “We were highly honored that they would want to [give this to us]. It’s so beautiful and priceless.”
The sculpture, made from Capodimonte china, is only 15 to 18 inches long, but weighs 75 pounds.
Hayes said, “I hope it blesses people to look at it.”
Considering the size of the Burrows’ collection, it is hardly surprising they overlooked even a Tiffany window.
Over the years, they have collected 1,256 model horses — acquired during their ownership of Cullman’s Palomino Hotel and Restaurant — 300 Dresden figurines and pieces of china, dolls, antique furniture, rare lamps and many other pieces.
All this became open to the public in January 2002, when the Burrows opened their Museum of Rare Collectibles on the family estate outside Cullman.
Nearly 100,000 objects are on display. Although Ottis Burrow’s illness and death later that year forced temporary closing of the museum, Evelyn Burrow has reopened it.
Further information is available on the museum’s website, http://www.cullmanmuseum.com.
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