Shepherd (& lamb) restored

By Hannah Hughes, Chronicle Summer Staff

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd across from Crandall Park in Glens Falls has restored its namesake statue.

“The Shepherd was here when we got here, kept a watchful eye on us. It’s kind of the signature of our church,” said Dixon Ballard, a church council member who has attended it since 1972.

“I was involved in helping the restoration in ’85,” he said.

Nearly 40 years later, Mr. Ballard said the statue was getting into a “pretty serious state of disrepair….I kind of piped up because I knew it was a little more involved than just a paint job. Come to find out it was quite a bit more in involved.”

Chestertown native Jack Binder contsructed the statue originally.

Joseph Ascrizzi from Freedom, Maine restored it in 1985.

Aaron Northrup, sculptor and mold maker of Custom Curiosities in Greenwich, took on the project this time.

He used to work for Adirondack Studios (formerly Adirondack Scenic), which hired Mr. Ascrizzi in 1985.

When the church contacted them this time, Mr. Northrup says, “Everybody at Adirondack said ‘Give Aaron a call!’…I ended up with the contract.”

Mr. Ballard said Mr. Northrup went through “quite an education process.” He “kept finding more things, and he got more and more involved…”

Mr. Northrup said he’s still not even sure what the original was made of. He said the shepherd’s arm contained “the kitchen sink” of materials like plaster, wood, concrete, foam, fiberglass and more.

Mr. Northrup did several repairs, including the fingers, arm, staff, along with other improvements. He also recast the entire lamb that the Shepherd is holding.

“Primarily what I did to fix it was a product called polygem, which is…a sculptable epoxy. They use it in zoos for animal environments…[I] recast [the lamb] in fiberglass resin. That is what they basically use to build boats, so it’s going to last them a long time,” said Mr. Northrup.

The project took him three weeks (although he specified they weren’t all full “ten-hour” days.

Church council member Holly Schulze says the statue has “been on the corner welcoming people up and down Glen Street and hopefully into our church” for more than half a century. “It means a lot to us because it’s so recognizable.”

Mrs. Schulze said “generous donations from several families in our church” funded the rebuild. Head Trustee Alan Deppe said being involved in the restoration has been “an honor.”

Mr. Northrup shares this sentiment. “Everybody that I talked to said ‘Oh yeah, everybody knows…that sculpture.’ It’s cool to have something that lasts and is so prominent.”

He said it was “extra special getting to meet the church members and see them happy about the restoration work.”

The church’s 75th anniversary committee plans monthly events, culminating in “a big worship service and luncheon at The Queensbury,” said Mrs. Schulze.

The Shepherd overlooking Glen Street has “been guiding us for 51 years,” said Mr. Ballard. “And he’ll be good for another 51.”

“He’ll outlive us,” Mrs. Schulze said.

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