A rather large piece of art, the recently restored St. John's Lutheran Church in midtown Sacramento, will be on exhibit Sept. 13 during the Second Saturday Art Walk.

Following a 15-month, $5 million restoration, the historic church, built in 1912, will be open to the public.

The church's Restoration Celebration will begin at 3 p.m. with an open service, followed by a reception and evening tours beginning at 5.

"I think they succeeded beautifully," says Roberta Deering, the city of Sacramento's senior planner for historic preservation. "The panels and light fixtures from the 1960s were beautiful but not appropriate to the original design of the interior."

The church's abundance of natural wood and stained glass impart a feeling of warmth and comfort. Only two pews had to be removed to accommodate building codes and architectural plans.

The archway framing the hand-carved altar was widened. Ceiling stencils that were painted over in the 1930s were painstakingly reapplied over a period of four months. The colors complement massive stained-glass windows. Some of the biblical-scene windows have been backlit to offset heavily shaded areas.

While period lighting fixtures featured small bowl shapes, the new custom-made interior fixtures are bowl-shaped but much larger. With improved lighting in mind, each of the main fixtures is 4 feet wide and 4 feet deep, and is suspended from the 35-foot ceiling.

Efforts to maintain period authenticity had to be balanced against needed safety upgrades and some secular updating with modern technology. Among the new goodies is an LCD projection system with a hidden, retractable 13-by-10-foot screen.

"We wanted to provide for the next two or three generations," says senior pastor Scot Sorensen.

Organized by German immigrants in 1867, the first church was erected at the corner of Ninth and K streets. It was named the German Evangelical Lutheran Church.

In 1912, a new church was built at the current location, 1701 L St.; it was renamed St. John's Lutheran Church during World War I.

Today, the congregation of more than 750 families is among the largest in downtown Sacramento.

In the earliest stages of restoration, the interior was stripped "back to the plaster," according to Sorensen.

Among the discoveries were areas of knob and tube wiring dating back nearly 100 years. The plumbing's 4-inch lines, a source of clogs for decades, were updated to 6-inch lines.

During the many months of work, the congregation worshipped in folding chairs and in cramped quarters at a church building next door. Two Easter services were held at Memorial Auditorium.

In June, with the restrooms fully functional, services resumed in the restored sanctuary. Important upgrades included new air conditioning, oak flooring, plumbing, electrical and sound systems.

About one-fifth of the total restoration expense was earmarked for a new pipe organ, installation and pipe maintenance. The St. John's 56-rank Bedient Opus 80 organ is among the largest church pipe organs in Northern California.

"People seemed to have an overwhelming feeling of awe," said Sorensen about the finished project. "They were very thankful. This is a community building, we're part of the community, and we want to share it with everyone."

Call The Bee's Dan Vierria, (916) 321-1119.