Stained Glass Restoration and New Protective Covering at St. Mark AME Zion Church in Durham, NC

In 2007, Laws Stained Glass Studios repaired the stained glass windows and covered them with protective covering at St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Durham, NC. The church has hand-stained glass windows made by Russell Church Studios in Winston-Salem. In the 1950s and 1960s, Laws Stained Glass Studios made steel frames for Russell Church Studios and provided other supplies as well. It has been out of business for many years.

When Laws inspected the windows, we noted that the windows were in relative, good condition. The windows did have some broken pieces of glass and some of the braces were loose, but the windows were not bulging. Laws began by remaking and matching the broken pieces of glass. The hand-stained glass was stained with a water droplet technique that sometimes can be difficult to replicate, but Laws' artists have a lot of experience with it. Many of our windows during the 1950s and 1960s were made that way. Laws ended up replacing about 31 pieces of the worse broken glass and soldering on many loose braces.

After repairing the windows, Laws installed 1/4" Lucite acrylic as the protective covering over (16) windows with ten (size 72" wide x 154" high), two (size 40" wide x 94" high), two (size 44" wide x 54" high), and other sizes. The Lucite was set into a T-bar aluminum frame and floated, using 1/2" x 1/2" white aluminum stops to hold it in place.

Hand-stained glass window made by Russell Church Studios in Winston-Salem in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

These hand-stained glass windows by Russell Church Studios have a 12" round biblical scene and a memorial plate at the bottom.

Hand-stained glass window with 12" round Biblical scene and a memorial plate

Close-up of one of the broken pieces of glass and a loose brace. Note the water droplet technique of the staining.

Close-up of the bottom of the existing window with the name of the studio

View of the windows inside the sanctuary

View of the hand-stained glass window from the outside with the white T-bar frame in place ready to receive the new 1/4" Lucite acrylic

New 1/4" Lucite acrylic protective covering set into a white T-bar aluminum frame

New 1/4" Lucite acrylic as the protective covering over hand-stained glass windows

Contact Information

St. Mark AME Zion Church

531 S Roxboro St

Durham, NC 27701

(919) 688-2092

stmarkamez.com

531 S Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27701

Stained Glass
Studios, Inc.

Church Stained Glass Windows, Repairs, Protective covering,