It started its life as a pew in the old Saint Anthony’s Church where, for decades, the devoted – those in prayer, and those asking for guidance and help – were supported by its firm, warm, wooden surface.
Much later, it found itself positioned outside the principal’s office at Center School where small children would have to sit and wait for their moment of reckoning. For them, the painted wooden surface was part of the punishment. The long pew also served as a meeting place for teachers or as a reception area for those waiting to be interviewed for a teaching position. Its many decades of service continued until Center School closed for renovations.
In the early 2000s prior to construction taking place, a number of items were sold off. One of those items was the pew.
Roxanne and James Bungert purchased the pew for their home. Roxanne especially saw the beauty in the well-crafted solid wooden pew. They also saw what it could become.
After Mr. Bungert restored the pew’s stability and refinished its surfaces to the original wood grain, the couple commissioned a professional artist to paint scenes of Mattapoisett on the piece.
Depicted in stunning shades of deep green, vivid blues, and the more subtle tones of nature, a Connecticut artist painted the stone bridge, Salty the Seahorse, a whaling ship in full sail, Ned’s Point lighthouse, and the gazebo at Shipyard Park on the backrest.
Center School Principal Rose Bowman said the painting and the pew represent the beauty of Mattapoisett and the attachment the Bungerts, specifically Roxanne, have not only to the community, but also to the school – a school that has seen nine Bungert children and grandchildren pass through its doors, as well as Roxanne (Jenkins) Bungert herself.
“It’s absolutely beautiful … striking … a lovely way to celebrate Mattapoisett and Center School,” Bowman said, adding, “It’s a tremendous gift!”
By Marilou Newell
