Stained Glass

Woodstock Masonic Lodge, VT

The Masonic Temple in Woodstock, VT is housed in the former Christian Church, built in 1826. The building was presented to Woodstock Lodge No.31, F & A M by the Christian Church Society in 1949, along with it’s collection of beautiful stained glass windows. We were contacted to assess the windows, with particular concern for the two circular panels facing the street. 

With their beautiful, bright colors and delicate design, it was clear to see that both windows were in need of repair. They were both severely deflected - one to the point that the center jewel was close to falling out of the window. The lead matrix was fatigued and cracking and the deflection caused many pieces of glass to break.

At about 42’ across in their wooden sashes, these windows fit perfectly on our studio work benches as we began the process of bringing them back to life.  

Glass matching was a challenge on these beauties, so we opted to retain as much original glass as possible with a lot of copper foil and through-lead repairs. 

The intricate lead work and stunning colors made for a challenging and thoroughly enjoyable build. The restored windows are now glazed into their refurbished sashes and we are excited to return them to the charming town center later this fall.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal, Pittsfield, NH

St. Stephen’s Parish in Pittsfield, N.H., with its strong community and rich history, is home to a stunning rendition of The Good Samaritan, made by Connick Studios in Boston. As with most of Connick’s windows, it’s filled with colorful glass that’s heavily painted, and with bold lines and organic shapes. In the fall of 2022, we conducted a full restoration of the window and the vent that sits below.

We can’t overstate the importance of good upfront documentation on a project like this. With so many similar shapes in use, the details in our rubbings, along with the close-ups we captured through the camera, were critical to helping us rebuild the window exactly as it was.

We found something uncommon for a Connick of this era: In the photos below, you’ll see that the plates are yellow flashed glass, that have been acid-etched, in order to transition form yellow to clear. The effect is so subtle, that if we hadn’t had them taken apart, we likely wouldn’t have noticed it. In order to preserve this effect, we wrapped the plated areas with copper foil, keeping dirt and debris from getting between the layers of glass. 

Throughout the window, there are sweet little details painted into the shadows. The beauty of restoring this window piece-by-piece is that we got to see all of them. 

It was an honor to play a part in the preservation of this beautiful window, and we’re grateful to the St. Stephens congregation for choosing us to do the work.

Arched Maine Transom and Sidelites

Here’s a quick restoration we did last Spring for Great Falls Construction in Brunswick, Maine. The arched transom had all of its lead medallions intact, but the window was caving in and the glass was in danger of breaking or falling out.

In the course of releading these, we found a couple of areas where we could provide additional support to the windows without changing the design. The deflection that happened in the transom, along the middle curves, was likely due to the fact that there was one continuous piece of lead on the curve. By breaking that up and building some of the lines from top to bottom, we’ve added to the overall stability and can hopefully avoid some of the bowing in the future 

The sidelites are tall and narrow, continuing the lines of the transom to the sides in an elegant way. But the manner in which they were originally built left them vulnerable to sagging. Additionally, the lead was cracked at the solder joints. By adding three support bars to the panels, that slot directly into the sash, we were able to redistribute most of the weight away from the panel itself.

With the releading complete, we reattached the original medallions and integrated the panels into their refurbished and primed sashes. The windows are now complete and have been reinstalled.

First Church Rose Window, Concord, NH

With so much to look at on the inside of First Church, you could almost miss the Rose window if you weren’t careful. It sits high above the choir loft at the back of the church and casts a beautiful red, gold and green light on the seats below.

Twelve petals surround the circular center panel to create the rose. The woodwork that surrounds it is impressive in both size and detail. We were grateful to be able to remove and install the panels from the inside, which gave us a great look at everything up close.

Once we had them back in the studio, we worked through them quickly. Thankfully, there were very few broken pieces and very few surprises. We were able to get them releaded and back in place, and secured with no issues.

ST. Catherine’s, Manchester, NH

We were honored when St. Catherine’s approached us to design and build a new window to match the rest of their sanctuary windows. The originals were designed by O’Duggan studios in Boston, and each depicts a different story from the Bible. Father Chris chose the story of Jesus washing Peter’s feet, and Dennis started sketching from there.

The biggest challenge was ensuring that the new window matched the old. We did multiple iterations of the design, playing with the number of pieces, the size of the figures and the background elements. From there, we started looking at colors, color balance, contrast and focus. We lined up glass samples in our studio to make the first choices. And then brought them to the church to make the final selection.

The figures stretch across two-panels, and are painted in a simple style, against a backdrop of bright colors and shapes. The panels are further surrounded by large blocks of (stunningly beautiful) blue and red glass, handmade to this day by Lambert’s glass in Germany.

Our trial and error paid off, and the new window fits right in with the old. Kudos to Dennis for his attention to detail throughout. The client is thrilled and so are we.

First Church, South Transept

On each side of the Nave at the First Church of Christ Scientist in Concord, there are two large and beautiful transept windows. We began the restoration of the South side this Spring. With over 30 individual panels and tracery elements in each window, this phase is the largest window restoration in the church to date.

The windows were originally designed and fabricated by the John Hardiman studio of Birmingham, England. They are even more stunning in person than images can relay. There are multiple figures depicted throughout but Jesus is the main character in each of the four scenes. According to records, Mary Baker Eddy visited the church just once after its completion with the express purpose of seeing them. It’s said that she sat for a whole hour just looking at them. We can attest to their beauty, and feel fortunate to have seen their artistry up close — in a way that no one has for a long time. One of our favorite panels is the “Healing of the Lepers”. Seeing figures from 100+ years ago, depicted wearing masks, is enough to give you goosebumps.

We were fortunate to have a somewhat stress-free removal, given the age and the brittle condition of the lead. Once back in our studio, we continued the documentation process. There were more flanges than normal due to the variations in glass thickness. But the original lead was completely failing and the windows came apart easily. In the cleaning process, we removed a lot of soot and the glass has brightened up a fair amount.

At this point, we are most of the way through their restoration. Once the church has installed a new protective glazing solution, we’ll be back there to get the windows installed.

Claremont, NH Opera House

The details are incredible throughout the building, down to the design of the original seating chart that hangs in the Women’s Lounge. Our first phase included the restoration of 19 small panels, but all of the windows in the building have come of age and in need of repair.. 

Getting the windows out was a challenge. The only removable stops were the length of the large arches, and those were nailed with about 35 nails each. (Thanks, turn of the century carpenter!!) Due to what turned out to be some very strange construction, the remaining interior woodwork had to be removed to get the panels out. 

Back at the shop, we got to work on the documentation, disassembly and cleaning of the windows. It’s a dirty task, but beyond rewarding when you are back to clean glass. There was quite a bit of broken glass, but we found a really good match for the clear texture. We even had some old solarized glass to match some of the light purple. The replacement glass is indistinguishable from the original. 

Each panel was fully releaded and the sashes restored, before the panels were reglazed into them.

From there we returned them to Claremont and enjoyed a comparatively smooth installation, (now that we’d solved a lot of problems from the removal.) We hope to start Phase 2 in 2022. If you’re ever in the area, make sure to get a look at them. It’s a fantastic building.

Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Bar

Have you been yet? Originally built as a YMCA, this building has recently been overhauled and turned into a world class jazz club. We got to see the “before” on an early site visit, when there were still small apartments and a basketball court. But the work they’ve done to transform the space is exemplary.

Our part included the restoration of the (massive) 22’ tall operable sashes as well as the original YMCA insignia stained glass panels in the rear of the building.

We also rebuilt the sashes and panels located in the mezzanine level, recognizable now thanks the purple lights that illuminate them from behind. These are now all lit from behind by lightboxes because the original exterior has been bricked over.

Many thanks to Auger Building Co. and to everyone at Jimmy’s for including us in this amazing local project. It’s a great space and a total win for Portsmouth.

Historic Harrisville

We’ve always known Harrisville, NH to be a special place, so we were delighted to be contacted about a project there. Historic Harrisville is a non-profit whose mission is to preserve the Town’s historic significance and enhance its vitality. The organization took ownership of the St. Denis Catholic church when the local diocese disbanded the congregation in 2010. The building itself houses more than 20 stained glass windows that date back to the 1890s, when the church was built to meet the spiritual needs of the immigrant Irish and French Canadian mill workers.

This Spring, we removed the four windows that were in the worst condition. Since then, they’ve undergone complete disassembly, cleaning, and releading. In addition, the unique sashes that housed them have been refurbished and strengthened beyond their original design. Now fully restored, these windows are set for the next hundred years, staying true to the mission and spirit of the Historic Harrisville organization.  

This first phase of this windows was funded by a grant from the 1772 Foundation, but there are 16 additional windows in need of the same treatment. Historic Harrisville is actively fundraising for the next phases, so we look forward to the opportunity to bring the rest of them back to their original glory over the next few years. 

Residential Beauties

Throughout New England’s incredible housing stock from the late 1800s and early 1900s, there are stunning examples of large-scale, decorative stained glass windows that are almost too precious to grace a regular home. In fact, most were installed by prominent citizens to ensure that they were NOT thought of as regular homes. We’ve had the opportunity to work on two amazing windows of late; one from a house in Swampscott, MA. Another from Portland, ME.  

The Swampscott window required a full relead. After removal, we brought them back to the studio to disassemble, clean and completely relead the three main panels. They were then puttied and back in place, ready for the next hundred years in their historic home. 

In the case of the Portland window, the strength and condition of the original lead was good enough that we were able to conduct a partial restoration, rather than fully disassembling and releading. We replaced broken pieces, rebuilt the border, reputtied the panels, and restored the original sash to bolster the window’s strength for years to come.

Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook ME

Completed in Fall of 2020, this project was a collaboration with our colleagues at Bagala Window Works. For our portion, we restored all 27 of the stained glass panels. Some to the panels only required deflection repair and perimeter lead replacement, while others required complete disassembly and rebuilding. It was particularly fun to work on the curved opalescent panels. Marc and his crew at BWW took care of all the sash restoration as well as the removal and installation.

Union Chapel Update

Over the last year, we’ve had the pleasure of restoring the stained glass windows from Union Chapel. (See previous post here.) As this project nears completion, we’re taking a look back on our work. 

One of our first tasks was to repair the deflection of the Connick panels. This repair involved scraping out old putty, cutting lead joints and slowly flattening the lead over low heat. Depending on the severity of deflection, some panels required nearly 50 cuts on both sides, a labor intensive process for sure. (See blue tape spots on image below.) But we were able to save the original lead. Once the panels were flattened, we resoldered all the lead joints and puttied the panels on both sides. 

Some of the glass was smashed beyond repair. New pieces were acid-etched, painted and fired to match the originals. You’d be hard-pressed to tell which pieces are the replacements.

Next our attention turned to the large, plated opalescent window that sits above the altar. The panels have 2-3 layers of glass that work together to bring a sense of perspective to the scene. It’s a gorgeous window. By carefully removed failed lead, we were able to inspect and clean the glass between the layers. Seeing the rippling water effect up close was a highlight. We wrapped the layers of glass with copper foil to keep dirt out for good. Once the lead replacement was completed, we carefully puttied both sides of the panels. 

Union Chapel sits on a very exposed site, close to the ocean. As a result, many of the sashes required new lower stiles and bottom rails. The smallest sashes needed to be remade entirely. The originals had slipped to “firewood” condition.

The operable metal vents at the base of each window required even more restoration. We didn’t think they were salvageable, but our colleague Alaina, from A.M. Design and Fabrication in Providence, RI convinced us to let her try. She did an incredible job — they’re unrecognizable from their former selves.

We are making a big push in the next six weeks to get the windows completed and installed. We look forward to getting them back to their beautiful home by the sea. While there are question marks surrounding everything in peoples’ lives right now, we join the trustees of Union Chapel in hoping that this summer will still allow for the special moments and celebrations the chapel has always been known for.

NH State House — Bicentennial Window

This window is one of our proudest accomplishments to date. We were approached by our friends at the NH State House to build a commemorative window for the building’s bicentennial. The requirements? Fit with the existing stained glass in the building, commemorate the milestone, and get it done in less than three months, (gulp.) We got to work.

Matt tackled the initial designs and together with the State House team, we landed on the final. Our friend Duncan Reid help us make it into an at-scale, printable template.

The dimensions of the final design are 115”W x 31”H. Choosing glass was an incredibly important part of the process. There were many decisions to make. We ultimately went with darker parts for the border glass to the left and right, graduating to lighter amber selections in the middle. Fun fact: Despite the range of appearances, there are only 5-6 different glass “colors” in use across the whole window.

The medallion is the main focal point. Our inspiration came from archival images of the State House as built in 1819. We painted its likeness onto clear glass, using several layers of vitreous paints — a traditional and methodical process that requires a steady hand. The medallion was then kiln-fired by our colleague Patty Pagels of Accents in Glass in Hampton, N.H. and leaded into the center.

The build was the payoff. With so many decisions behind us, seeing it come together, was a treat. We plated the medallion with opalescent white glass for increased brightness and contrast. And at the last minute, we added a purple “dalle de verre” at the top of the window, representing the Purple Finch and Purple Lilac, two of New Hampshire’s state symbols. 

Our colleague Michael Wise from Woodworks constructed a custom-built, arched sash to house the leaded panels. The installation was December 30th, and with it came an early morning snowstorm, snarling the roads statewide. (Could have done without that.) But the window went into place beautifully and now sits above the interior courtyard.

Thank you to everyone at the NH State House who entrusted us with this incredible honor! We’re proud to know that our work will be part of NH’s great history.

St. Peter’s by the Sea: Cape Neddick, ME

The northern coastline of New England is dotted with many seasonal chapels. We were fortunate to work on two of them last year. Our work on the windows at St. Peter’s was an exciting collaboration with Marc Bagala, and Justin Smith at New England Sash Co. The overall scope of work called for fabricating a new sash to match the unsalvageable original, and restoring the stained glass panels.

The lead came was severely deteriorated and the windows required complete releading. We documented, disassembled, cleaned the panels, and went to work.

Many of the original green exterior plates were cracked beyond repair or missing. As we often point out, matching glass can be exceedingly difficult. Finding the same color, texture, and transparency of the original glass is not a given. The green glass looked like it came from the Kokomo Glass Co in Kokomo, IN, (where they’ve been operating since 1888.) I worked with our rep Judy who was able to pull a few sheets and send it our way. She nailed it! In time when a glass manufacturing is shifting overseas, I’m beyond thankful for companies like Kokomo, who service our industry with knowledge and history, on top of the gorgeous glass.  

For other repairs, we kept the original glass and used tinted conservation-grade epoxy to secure them. The most prominent example of this was on one of the angel faces. We were able to match the color and glue the broken piece back together. Even up close, the crack is nearly invisible. We were thrilled with how it came out.

With the glass repairs behind us, we rebuilt the panels with new lead and our work was nearly complete.

Meanwhile, Justin and his team at New England Sash Co. created a beautiful new sash; a perfect replica of the original. The restored stained glass panels fit after minor adjustments and now the 150-year old windows look new. Many thanks to New England Sash Co. for including us in this fascinating project.

10 Remington Street — Cambridge

We were given a great opportunity to work on 12 windows in a grand old apartment building in Cambridge, MA. 

Remington.jpg

It was a great chance for us to bring together our “sash” and “solder” skills in one project. First, we completed the mechanical restoration to tighten up the windows and change out the sash cord to chain. We then removed the sashes to complete the full restoration back in our shop.

The glass and leaded-glass panels were carefully removed. All sashes were stripped of paint using an infrared heat gun. All the wood was sanded and primed with an oil-based primer.

The leaded glass panels were thoroughly cleaned. The old perimeter lead was replaced and all broken solder joints were resoldered. The panels were then puttied on the interior and exterior. The original brass hardware was also restored. Finally, we glazed the panels and the original antique glass into the sashes and applied two coats of paint to all of the woodwork. 

We were really happy with the results, as were the clients!