Hackley Public Library Stained Glass Project
Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: What are these workers doing?
ANSWER: They're removing the stained glass windows from the library so that they can be completely restored. They'll take pictures of the window and make detailed rubbings here*, then carefully package and pack the windows, take them back to their workshop in Front Royal, Virginia, and completely re-lead them, clean the glass, and fix any broken pieces. When they bring them back in November, the insulating glass that protects the stained glass from the outside will be replaced. Return to top.
QUESTION: Why?
ANSWER: Because the lead that holds the windows together is just worn out. This has caused the windows to sag and bow out, by as much as six inches, and that has caused the glass pieces to crack. You can see daylight through some of the cracks. Return to top.
QUESTION: What would happen if we weren't restoring the windows?
ANSWER: If we weren't restoring them, the windows would just fall out of the walls. Pieces as large as 6" x 8" have already fallen out of a Youth Services department window, and more and more cracks can be seen, so it is time to get started before anymore damage is done.
Usually windows need to be re-leaded about every 75 years; the library windows are 118 years old. Other windows in the neighborhood (Central United Methodist across the street, St. Paul's across the alley, and St. Mary's two blocks down Webster Ave.), have also been restored in recent years. Return to top.
QUESTION: How long will this project take?
ANSWER: It will take about a week to get the windows out, make special wax rubbings of them, and get them crated and loaded for the trip to Virginia. They'll bring them back in November and then it will take about two weeks to put them back in. It will take five months all together. Return to top.
QUESTION: Will I be able to use the whole library while the craftsmen are here?
ANSWER: No. Sometimes there will be scaffolding in the way for a couple of days, and some of the library's books will be covered by protective plastic tarps for a few days. We'll help you get the books you need from other libraries, and we'll be happy to hold things for you for when the scaffolding is gone, but it wouldn't be safe to crawl under the scaffolding and the tarps to retrieve library materials. Return to top.
QUESTION: Will it be noisy?
ANSWER: Sometimes. The craftsmen will need to use special tools to get the windows out of the frames. Return to top.
QUESTION: There are stained glass windows over the stairs. Will we be able to get to the children's department?
ANSWER: Yes, but but for a few days you'll have to take the elevator. The emergency back stairs is just for emergencies. The windows over the stairs will be removed on the 4th of July while the library is closed, so that people will be able to use the stairs to the youth services department (and down to the local history department) as much as possible. There will be times when the entire stairway from basement to roof will be closed, and there may be times when the youth services bathroom is closed too, but the bathrooms in the basement will always be available via the elevator. Return to top.
QUESTION: Who is paying for this?
ANSWER: The Friends of the Library have been raising money since 1995 to pay for the restoration work. Donations large and small, Parties in the Park, the book sales and all kinds of fund raising activities are making this restoration possible. The Community Foundation for Muskegon County has contributed $20,000. The Hackley Library and Muskegon Public Schools are paying the other hidden costs, such as architect and construction costs. This project is under the careful supervision of an architect who is an historic preservation specialist, as well as a local construction manager who knows the construction trade and our building inside and out is overseeing this job. Return to top.
QUESTION: How much will it cost?
ANSWER: Total estimated cost for the project is $140,000. Return to top.
QUESTION: Are these windows really worth it?
ANSWER: Yes. These windows are not just special to people in Muskegon. They were designed by Louis Millet (pronounced LOU-eee Mee-LAY), a well-known 19th century stained glass artist who also designed numerous prominent windows in Chicago and elsewhere. There's nothing else quite like them anywhere else, and every two years students from the Chicago Institute of Art come to
Muskegon just to see them. Return to top.
QUESTION: Who is doing this work?
ANSWER: The restoration firm Stained Glass by Shenandoah was chosen from proposals received from nationally experienced expert art glass restoration firms from five states. Shenandoah has over 150 years of combined experience in the restoration of art glass windows to their original beauty regardless of the extent of damage. They have won awards for preservation excellence, and are members of the Stained Glass Association of America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and other professional and business organizations. We're excited that they will be doing the work for our windows. Return to top.
QUESTION: I have more questions. Who can I ask?
ANSWER: You can ask the Library Director, Marty Ferriby, or other members of the staff. Return to top.
QUESTION: What about parking?
ANSWER: St. Paul's has given their permission for Shenandoah to park their truck and trailer in their lot, even during the art fair. Return to top.
* We'll be roping off a section of the main reading room for the craftsmen to use to make wax-and-paper rubbings of the windows before they're packed to travel. The rubbings will show the artisans at the workshop where all the little wires and solderings and connections are in a 3-dimensional way. They'll do other sets of rubbings for our archives when the restoration is complete. It should be kind of fun to watch.(Return to question.)
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