Stan Mullins: Man of Light

Posted on August 30, 2014 by bob in Features

Retired Methodist minister Stan Mullins spent decades spreading light from the pulpit. After he retired from the clergy, he continued spreading light, literally, refurbishing and repairing old lamps and chandeliers. For several years he owned Mullins Lamp Shop, downtown in an antique store.

“When I was a boy,” said Mullins, “I would take old bottles and a nail punch and beat a little hole in the bottom of the bottle and make a lamp out of it.”

What began as a boyhood hobby has remained with him, and lamps collected and repaired over the years decorate his apartment at Montgomery’s Wesley Gardens, including a ceiling chandelier, once gas-powered and covered in chrome.

Former gas lamp Mullins converted to electricity.

“I took the valves off, took it apart, and drilled it out so I could run my wires through it,” he said. “Once I got the chrome off and the brass polished and lacquered, it turned out to be a pretty piece.”

His favorite is a ‘piano lamp,’ so named for its place in the household. Popular in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, Mullins acquired the lamp shade while working with his father wiring rural homes in Washington County for electricity. His father bought the lampshade from a customer for 25 cents.

“Later I found the lamp base – I think I paid $12 for it – and I put it together.”

Piano lamp.

Formerly kerosene-powered, the piano lamp’s height-adjustable stand is a novelty even today.

Mullins’ biggest job was repairing the massive chandelier that hung in the lobby of the Governor’s House Hotel in Montgomery. He also refurbished the chandelier at the First White House of the Confederacy.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands,” he said. “It’s creative, it’s relaxing, it’s challenging.”

Detail of former kerosene piano lamp.

He thinks more people, young and old, would benefit from working with their hands.

“The process is enriching,” he said, “and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.”

Jake Roberts is a long-time Montgomery resident with a fondness for history and an ear for a good story. Contact him with story ideas at jakebroberts1@gmail.com.

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