The West Mathews Community League has spent the past three years replacing the windows of its building, the West Mathews Civic Center, which is located in Bohannon.

The building has stood in Bohannon since 1913 and originally was a school. The old Peninsula School was in operation from 1913 until 1946. According to league treasurer Dave Machen, the building still has many of its original windows.
The first two new windows were installed on July 25, 2018 and the civic league has been installing three windows at a time since then as funds allow. The group has been able to replace three of the front-facing first-floor windows, two of the kitchen windows and one window behind the stage.

“It’s been a slow process,” said WMCL president Al DeWitt.

Each custom-made window costs $700, which also includes the labor for the installation of the window. The group orders three windows at a time which costs over $2,000.

WMCL holds fundraisers, applies for grants and receives donations for the new windows. People can even sponsor a window and their name will be placed on the WMCL Window Replacement Project plaque. According to Machen and DeWitt, many people pay for a window in honor of a family member. WMCL also sells the old windows to people who want to use the wavy glass for art projects.

The six-pane, double-panel, energy-efficient windows will make the building warmer inside since it has no insulation. The old windows present a continued financial obligation since they have to be constantly maintained and repaired.
WMCL will host its third annual “Chili When it’s Chili” fundraiser dinner from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20. This year’s dinner will be takeout due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The menu includes chili, brownies and cornbread. Each meal costs $8 and the proceeds will go to buying a new window for the building.