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Stained Glass Conservation Project: Pearl Harbor Memorial Window

On 06, Feb 2023 | No Comments | In Aggrigate, Religious And Church Stained Glass, Stained Glass Repair And Restoration | By Martin Faith

stained glass conservation pearl harbor window

Stained glass conservation is about more than just preserving artwork – it’s about keeping history alive. Recently, our company had the opportunity to be part of an extraordinary stained glass conservation project. The Denver Stained Glass team traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to restore the Pearl Harbor Memorial Window. Below, we’ve discussed the details of this project in-depth.

 

A Beautiful Tribute to Those Who Have Served

The Pearl Harbor Memorial Window is a famous stained glass window located in the Honolulu area of Hawaii. It belongs to the Moanalua Community Church, a historic church built in 1958. The window was designed by John Wallace of Wallace-Wiley Studio and is meant to be a tribute to those who have devoted their lives to services. The design features a combination of beautiful imagery and symbols representing the various branches of the U.S military as well as symbolism representing religions from around the world. It is a stunning portrayal representing unity, devotion, and faith.

 

Signs of Damage & Deterioration

In recent years, the Pearl Harbor window started to show signs of deterioration. This was due to its age as well as its oceanside location and the salt-filled area. The church elders noticed changes in the window’s appearance and contacted us to conduct an inspection. Some of the issues we discovered were:

  • Cracked glass
  • Buckling metal
  • Warping
  • Damage from lawn mowers
  • Chipped glass
  • Moisture damage
  • Rotting of the surrounding woodwork

 

Stained Glass Restoration Process

To conserve costs, our team worked to to identify the panels that were in the worst condition and in need of immediate repairs. We flew to Hawaii and once we arrived, we created custom crates to ship the panels back to our studio. The panels were removed using lift equipment that we rented locally and shipped by ocean freight.

Once they arrived at our studio, we spent three months taking the panels apart, repairing them, and assembling them back together. Then, we put them back into the crates and shipped them back to Hawaii. Our team then flew back to Honolulu and worked to re-install the stained glass. The total time for completion was just four months.

The church was extremely pleased that we could save their stained glass and minimize some of the costs involved. The restored panels will last another 100 years and the rest have a few decades of life left in them. This beautiful piece of history is now safe and sound.

 

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about this project or our stained glass conservation services in general, please contact our office.

Fueled by a desire to preserve a centuries old tradition and one of the world’s most intricate and captivating art forms, Martin Faith is a dedicated craftsman and the proud owner of Denver Stained Glass. Using the skills he gained as a stained glass artisan in Glasgow, Scotland, Martin has spent the last thirty years focusing his efforts on creating exquisite works of art to adorn the walls of homes, churches, and buildings all across Colorado. His extensive knowledge in the areas of glassmaking, modern design, and historic preservation make him an expert in his trade and have given him a reputation as one of the most celebrated stained glass artisans of his time.

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