Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published in the Spring 2025 issue of Extant, a publication of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

Sunlight streaming through stained glass has a magical, immersive quality that conjures the celestial and divine, tapping deep into some essential part of the human imagination. I remember being transfixed by stained-glass windows as a child–not at church, but at the planetarium I used to visit on the way home from middle school. The mid-century building featured a wall of them, made from chunky, textured and vibrantly hued glass. They drifted through an abstract gradient of colors and, when struck by the low angle of the afternoon sun, were absolutely mesmerizing.

In 2020, I visited Beyer Studio, a stained-glass studio in Germantown for an Extant article on traditional building crafts. As we talked and wandered around the studio, Joe Beyer raised a gorgeous piece of cobalt blue glass up to the window and remarked that no medium is as “potent” as glass. When I recently prompted him with the memory, he laughed and said, “I still feel that way, whenever I see a really nice piece of red flash. There’s no medium that really matches it. The daylight is really a major ingredient.”

A Timeless Quality

In the early 12th century, stained glass became the primary conduit for channeling “divine light” in ecclesiastical buildings as Gothic architecture came into its own. Large, faceted, pictorial windows were a defining feature of the style, linking the earthbound to the celestial. Historically, stained glass specifically meant leaded windows that had been painted, often with silver oxide, and fired to literally “stain” the glass. Today, stained glass is used as a catchall term to refer to an assemblage of cut glass pieces, often colored or textured, held together in lead channels to create a window or two-dimensional pane. Architectural glass is ornamental glass that may be colored or clear and is often patterned glass, meant to enhance the design and function of a building (think leaded glass transoms or textured glass in bedroom doors or bathrooms). Art glass is another key term that can apply to any glass panel made with opalescent, iridescent or patterned glass.

There is a timeless quality to stained glass, perhaps because the medium as a whole has not deviated much from its medieval roots. When I asked Beyer how the process had changed, he joked that now the soldering irons plug in. To make glass, at least back in the medieval days, sand and wood ash were melted down to a liquid form and various metals were added to the glass in its molten state to create colors. The molten glass would then be blown into a long, cylindrical shape, sliced open and coaxed to lay flat. Or it might be blown into a bulb, opened at one end and then spun high in the air into a plate-like disk to make crown glass, creating the distinctive “bullseye” glass, the thicker, round section at the point where the glass adheres to the iron.

Some glass is still made this way today, although the number of producers has been dwindling over the past several years. Specialized companies in Germany, France, and the United States still produce mouth-blown sheet glass, known as “antique glass.” Beyer, a self-described “glass snob,” stocks his studio with European antique glass, which is what you’ll likely find in historic church windows and other higher-end pictorial glass pieces. Many of the stately homes along Broad Street and early suburban developments in West Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill, and Mount Airy featured leaded and stained-glass embellishments, intricate woodwork, and other flourishes. Beyer said much of this glass was industrially produced. Cathedral glass or textured window glass manufactured in the United States was made from molten glass that was rolled out and impressed with textures and patterns in a manner that was easier to mass produce.

Yet, there is another type of very highly prized glass that was frequently used throughout Philadelphia: the pearly and opalescent art glass made by Louis Comfort Tiffany of Tiffany Studios. Inspired by Roman and ancient glass during a trip to London in 1893, Tiffany began experimenting with glass production, mixing metallic oxides with molten glass, mixing glass colors and embracing irregularities. The result defined the studio’s signature style, called Favrile glass, patented by Tiffany in 1896.

Illuminating Philadelphia

Stained glass production in the United States intensified around the mid-to-late 19th century, when Victorian and Gothic Revival churches and residential architecture proliferated. The hundreds of ecclesiastical buildings that rose across Philadelphia between 1890 and World War II incorporated stained glass based on earlier European styles and techniques. Often, congregations would import mass-produced stained-glass windows out of Europe. In the late 1890s, Philadelphia was home to both the Willet Stained Glass Studios and D’Ascenzo Studios, two renowned studios whose works are featured in prominent buildings across the country. By the turn of the 20th century, stained and leaded glass were being mass produced and were widely available, with designs for decorative architectural glass windows appearing in catalogs and residential designs throughout the U.S.

In an ecclesiastical setting, pictorial stained glass serves multiple purposes. It evokes an emotional response, shifting the mood of a space throughout the course of a day. It’s also often didactic, highlighting scenes and stories of biblical figures. These windows carry significance and meaning from a sociological perspective, too, reflecting the tastes, values and economic circumstances of communities at particular points in time. Beyer used to offer a Center City tour that deciphered the stylistic influences of stained-glass windows in churches. The windows, often funded by donors, reflect stylistic preferences, tastes and technologies of their time. Center City offers what Beyer calls a “cornucopia of glass” in churches such as Frank Furness’s First Unitarian, John Notman’s Church of the Holy Trinity, and Isaac Purcell’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion.

“The space can speak to us,” said Reverend Carolyn Cavaness of the historic Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. “It is the embodiment, the hard work of not just labor, but resources, collective genius, creative genius, and community creating a space to gather.” That carries symbolic weight. Mother Bethel, founded in 1791 by Reverend Richard Allen, located in what is now known as Society Hill, occupies the oldest continuously Black-owned parcel of land in the nation. “For the African American community, where we have so few structures and places that are ours, that’s really powerful.”

The current late Victorian-style building dates to 1889 and features a gorgeous assemblage of large, arched figurative windows and ornamental glass windows throughout the sanctuary. Those windows, Cavaness said, were funded by people who had been systematically disenfranchised by slavery, coming together with whatever they had to esteem God and their community. “In the midst of darkness, these windows are shining bright,” she said. “They help to center us, and they come as a testament to past generations.”

Other Stained-Glass Jewels

Stained glass wasn’t limited to Philadelphia’s ecclesiastical architecture. A number of the city’s commercial buildings also hosted impressive works of glass art. Horn & Hardart automats featured stained-glass windows designed by Nicholas D’Ascenzo as a way to add a sense of grandeur and elegance to the dining experience. Sadly, none of them remain, but one of the windows from the 16th and Chestnut Streets location was restored in 2022 by stained glass artisan Chandler Coleman of Cathedral Stained Glass Studios in Cheltenham after it was rescued during demolition in 1966 and donated, years later, to the Woodmere Art Museum.

Another masterful public work of glass art is Maxfield Parrish’s “The Dream Garden,” installed in the Curtis Publishing Building in 1916. Not technically stained glass (the mural is not illuminated from behind), the work consists of hundreds of thousands of opalescent Tiffany glass tesserae that form a glowing garden scene that gives the illusion it is lit from within.

Carrying on the Craft

When three of the historic ornamental stained-glass windows at Mother Bethel were damaged by vandalism in February 2024, the Preservation Alliance helped lead a fundraising effort for their restoration. Glass artist Owusu Ansah, of Owusu Studio in Germantown, removed the broken panes and beautifully restored them. These particular windows were a simple design of offset rectangles of colored glass, making them a straightforward fix. Ansah, a Nigerian-born master glass artist who studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, has restored and designed new stained-glass windows throughout Philadelphia and the East Coast. The Mother Bethel congregation gathered to bless the new windows after they were returned.

“What stained glass does for a community of worshippers is that it’s supposed to inspire the best in us, so that when we come in to worship, we look up at the windows, they open up our imagination,” Reverend Mark Tyler, former pastor of Mother Bethel, told CBS News.

Philadelphia is lucky to have a number of skilled stained glass specialists practicing in the area, but, overall, traditional craft and knowledge associated with historic buildings is dwindling. The skill is typically learned in other countries through a formal apprenticeship process. “There are currently no programs in the United States at a four-year university level to teach stained glass,” said Stephen Hartley, associate professor of the practice at Notre Dame’s School of Architecture. Hartley, who used to head the now-defunct Building Arts program at Bryn Athyn College, said there hasn’t been an official apprenticeship program for stained glass artists since the 1970s. Many practitioners will train with a professional for years, often referred to as apprenticing. But the key difference is that a traditional apprenticeship, as various trade unions offer, implies a pathway to employment and a standardized curriculum and skill set.

Today, the outlook for stained glass as a craft isn’t bad, Hartley said. According to the Stained Glass Association of America, there are roughly the same number of firms offering stained glass services as there were 100 years ago. The work has changed. Much of it is new commissions for secular architecture and restoration work, but there is still demand.

Another notable difference is that the younger generation taking up the craft today tends to come from a background in fine arts rather than building or applied arts. The artistic sensibilities and skills–such as color selection and painting ability–translate well but in service of a different end, said Hartley. “Stained glass is an applied art and not a fine art. You’re taking your artistic ability and applying it to a profession.” Students in his class, Painting with Light, get a taste of this distinction, learning the tools, art history, deterioration, and conservation techniques for stained glass. At the end of the semester, they perform an assessment for a house of worship in need.

Conservation, Restoration, and Care

Stained-and-leaded-glass windows, while beautiful, are trickier to maintain than regular windows and periodically require specialized maintenance. They can sag and stretch, causing the window to bow. Individual glass pieces may break or crack from the pressure of bowing and go missing, causing the window to become drafty. Surface painting may become scratched or otherwise damaged. There are some key points to be aware of if you’re looking to embark on stained glass maintenance or restoration to ensure that windows aren’t damaged in the process.

First, understand what you’re dealing with. Stained-glass windows involve multiple different materials that age and deteriorate, from wooden frames to steel supports, lead cames, glass pieces, and copper foil. A professional can help you understand how your window was made and identify the key issues that need to be addressed. This is an absolutely essential step for congregations or folks dealing with larger scale, decorative historic windows that may be highly valuable.

In spring 2023, Emmanuel Christian Center, the new owners of the 1901 St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in West Philadelphia, sold what they thought were two grimy, old stained-glass windows to a salvager for $6,000. The large rose windows turned out to be Tiffany and were sold at auction for $250,000. The unfortunate situation made national news and left church clergy feeling foolish and neighbors and historic preservationists frustrated and dismayed that the windows had been lost.

Second, never try to repair in place. Given the lack of knowledge about stained glass, Beyer said it can be easy for congregations to fall for salespeople pitching quick fixes. Once the window has been examined by a professional, it will likely need to be removed in order to be repaired properly. Despite what some smooth sales pitches might suggest, there are very few issues that can be solved in place. Stained glass needs room to expand and contract as different components of the windows react with environmental temperatures. After a certain amount of time, some components–often the putty and, in extreme instances, the lead cames–simply need to be replaced, a straightforward and relatively quick fix for an experienced professional. Beware of anyone offering to re-cement windows in place. This will likely yield sloppy results and will raise the cost of a properly done restoration later. Another consideration is exterior window protection. If you have the resources, Beyer said, go with glass storm windows versus plexiglass, which will discolor and become foggy over time.

Congregations looking to replace a stained-glass window that isn’t protected by historic designation should look into the Sacred Window Rescue Project, an initiative at Beyer Studio that seeks to match salvaged stained-glass windows with faith organizations around the world that can provide permanent homes for them. The goal of the project, which Beyer said has been running for decades, is to keep sacred windows out of the antiques market and ensure they end up somewhere where they will be shown respect. Over the years, it has helped more than 1,000 church windows–primarily from Philadelphia–find permanent homes.

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Where to View Glass Art in and Around Philadelphia

Bryn Athyn Cathedral: 900 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

The jewel-toned stained glass was inspired by Gothic French cathedrals and was fabricated at Bryn Athyn’s studio (equipped with its own glass furnace) from 1916 into the 1940s.

Calvary United Methodist Church: 801 S. 48th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143

Designed in 1907 by New York architect William R. Brown, the church features Tiffany stained-glass windows.

Curtis Building: 699 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Maxfield Parrish’s “The Dream Garden” graces the east lobby of the former Curtis Publishing Company, which is open to the public daily.

Mother Bethel AME Church: 419 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

The church’s figurative and decorative stained-glass windows were funded by parishioners and fabricated by Century Art Company in 1890.

United States Mint: 151 N. Independence Mall E, Philadelphia, PA 19106

The lobby features seven Favrile glass mosaics depicting the process of coin production. The mosaics were commissioned for the Mint’s former location at 1700 Spring Garden Street in 1901 and were moved to the current location.

Washington Memorial Chapel: 2000 Valley Forge Park Rd, King of Prussia, PA 19406

Located in Montgomery County, the chapel features great works of the American Arts and Crafts movement, including ironwork by Samuel Yellin and 13 windows by Nicola D’Ascenzo inspired by the Chartres Cathedral in France.

Fisher Fine Arts Library: 220 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Designed by Frank Furness and completed in 1890, the library features elaborate textured, clear leaded-glass windows adorned with aphorisms selected by the architect’s brother, Horace Howard Furness, a Shakespeare scholar.

First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia: 201 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

The 1872 landmark by Henry Augustus Sims features works from various studios including Willet, Tiffany and smaller studios from the late 19th to late 20th century.

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia: 2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Features brilliant stained-glass windows, including a seven-sided rose window designed by John La Farge, a contemporary of Louis Comfort Tiffany who also patented early opalescent glass-making techniques.

The McClatchy Building: 10 S. 69th Street, Upper Darby Township, PA 19082

This Egyptian Revival spectacle at 69th Street in Upper Darby features a multistory stained-glass window by D’Ascenzo Studios that can be viewed from inside the H&M store.

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