Stained Glass 

Studios, Inc.

     Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church has beautiful European-style stained glass windows, made in Germany that were installed in 1915 when the sanctuary was built.  The windows have intricate wood frames, and the stained glass is hand-stained with the large windows depicting scenes like "Boy in the Temple" and "John Wesley Preaching."  In 1973, Laws Stained Glass Studios replaced a couple of the windows while doing a renovation in conjunction with Evans Construction Company.

     In 1975, C.A. Laws visited Hawthorne Lane UMC to inspect the windows.  At that time, they had been in place for 60 years.  They did not have protective covering.  For the most part, the windows were in good shape.  Mr. Laws noted minor bulging and some broken glass especially around the ventilator.  The worst glass break was the face of Jesus in the "Boy in the Temple" window.  

     Later that year, Laws Stained Glass Studios, restored the windows and provided protective covering.  The restoration included the new face for the "Boy in the Temple" window and other broken pieces of glass, mainly for the ventilator sections.  The minor bulges were straightened and additional braces were added at the top of each section.  The ventilators were sealed into place and fixed to where they could not be opened.  New 1/4" Plexiglass, which is an acrylic, was installed over the outside of the windows as the protective covering.  The Plexiglass was held in place with a new steel frame anchored to the existing wood frame.  For the next 40 years, this repair work and protective covering kept the windows in good shape.

     In 2015, Laws Stained Glass Studios returned to Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church to replace the protective covering.  No repair work was needed for the stained glass. The protective covering had served its purpose.  Laws removed the old protective covering with its steel frame, and replaced the steel frame with a new aluminum frame.  This new aluminum frame is an almond color which is baked into the metal, and it matches the exterior woodwork.  The protective covering is a newer, more durable acrylic called Lucite.  It is 1/4" thick like the previous protective covering.  Laws also painted the exterior wood frame.

     The only work done to the stained glass windows was cleaning them inside and outside.  After 100 years, the windows had become rather dirty on the inside especially.  Laws cleaned each window thoroughly, leaving them looking like they were in 1915.