Project Year: 2019–2020
Location: 6400 S. Kimbark Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Baltic Art Studio restored the historic stained glass windows of McWilliams Chapel at First Presbyterian Church of Chicago. This 2019–2020 project focused on preserving the original windows while restoring their beauty, stability, and historic character.
The chapel windows had suffered extensive deterioration over time. Many sections were cracked, broken, vandalized, or missing entirely. Some panels had become unstable because of weakened lead cames and past damage.
Baltic Art Studio began with a detailed onsite assessment. Each window was photographed, measured, and documented before careful removal from the chapel. The panels were then transported to our workshop for conservation and restoration.
At the workshop, each panel was photographed and documented in detail to preserve the original design and guide the restoration work.
The glass was gently cleaned to remove years of dirt and buildup, revealing the original colors, textures, and painted details. This process helped our team identify which pieces could be conserved and which missing areas needed to be recreated.
The project required extensive glass repair and the recreation of lost decorative sections. Original glass was preserved whenever possible.
Where glass had been destroyed or could not be repaired, new pieces were selected and painted to match the original colors, textures, patterns, and painted details of the historic windows.
Alfredas Sutkus, Mika Bronx, and Evelina Mayner of Baltic Art Studio carefully recreated these missing elements so they would blend naturally with the original windows.
Damaged lead cames, the framework that holds stained glass pieces together, were replaced to restore structural stability.
Once repairs were complete, the panels were reassembled, tested for fit and stability, and prepared for reinstallation. Baltic Art Studio then returned the restored windows to McWilliams Chapel, where final adjustments were completed.
Back at McWilliams Chapel, the restored windows were securely reinstalled, returning them to their rightful place as a focal point of the space’s spiritual ambiance.
The McWilliams Chapel windows were returned to their historic beauty and structural stability. Their restored color, painted detail, and light once again support the character of the chapel.
This project preserved an important part of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago and helped protect these historic stained glass windows for future generations.
