Friends of Holyoke City Hall

Friends of Holyoke City Hall The 13 original Stained Glass Windows at the Holyoke City Hall, Holyoke, MA are in process of being restored. Thank you for your support.

Update: June 2021-4 windows have been restored and returned to Holyoke City Hall. 3 windows are down for repairs. The thirteen windows in Holyoke’s City Hall were all designed and manufactured by Samuel West of the Ecclesiastical Stained Glass Works, Boston, MA, in ca. 1876, when City Hall was built. In the main auditorium, there are ten windows. Six are figural, representing various aspects of Ho

lyoke’s economy of the period. The other four are decorative. In the hallway in front of the auditorium is a large window with two figures representing the United States. In the hallway in back of the auditorium are two small lunettes above large windows in stairwells. All windows are made of painted antique glass. The condition of all thirteen windows is extremely poor. All of the windows are in danger of failing, particularly in high winds. Previous restoration efforts have done more to hurt the windows than to help them; the craftsmanship of these repairs is of egregiously poor quality. All of the windows will require complete releading. There is great deal of missing glass, especially in window 8, Music, in which a whole section is missing. Some of the missing glass has been replaced with poorly matched and sometimes unpainted glass. Other areas, including the large section of window 8, have been blocked with plywood, cardboard, duct tape, or painters’ blue tape. None of these repairs is appropriate. It is also recommended that when the windows are restored and reinstalled, they be protected on the exterior with laminated glass storm windows in independent wood frames, vented through the frames to the exterior. Restoration and protective glazing of all of the windows in City Hall is estimated to cost upwards of $50,000 per window.

Check out 'FLORA's' new location on Northampton St. next to Friendly's in the former Salon 413 ! Great gift ideas and s...
12/13/2024

Check out 'FLORA's' new location on Northampton St. next to Friendly's in the former Salon 413 ! Great gift ideas and some City Hall photos for sale! One stop Christmas shopping!

11/07/2024

Need a gift for a person who has everything- think about Holyoke City Hall images- on sale now!

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09/19/2024

Address

536 Dwight Street
Holyoke, MA
01040

Opening Hours

10am - 12pm

Telephone

+14132371950

Website

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The thirteen windows in Holyoke’s City Hall were all designed and manufactured by Samuel West of the Ecclesiastical Stained Glass Works, Boston, MA, in ca. 1876, when City Hall was built. In the main auditorium, there are ten windows. Six are figural, representing various aspects of Holyoke’s economy of the period. The other four are decorative. In the hallway in front of the auditorium is a large window with two figures representing the United States. In the hallway in back of the auditorium are two small lunettes above large windows in stairwells. All windows are made of painted antique glass. The condition of all thirteen windows is extremely poor. All of the windows are in danger of failing, particularly in high winds. Previous restoration efforts have done more to hurt the windows than to help them; the craftsmanship of these repairs is of egregiously poor quality. All of the windows will require complete releading. There is great deal of missing glass, especially in window 8, Music, in which a whole section is missing. Some of the missing glass has been replaced with poorly matched and sometimes unpainted glass. Other areas, including the large section of window 8, have been blocked with plywood, cardboard, duct tape, or painters’ blue tape. None of these repairs were appropriate. It is also recommended that when the windows are restored and reinstalled, they be protected on the exterior with laminated glass storm windows in independent wood frames, vented through the frames to the exterior. Restoration and protective glazing of all of the windows in City Hall is estimated to cost upwards of $50,000 each. If you'd like to help the Friends of Holyoke City Hall, volunteers are welcome. Follow and like the page and watch for more events coming in the Fall. Watch for ‘a hour in the tower’ event. Yes, the clock tower....ever wanted to take the walk- go to the top? Get your camera ready. It’s in the works. Stay tuned.

‘Save the Stained Glass Windows’ has a new name: Friends of Holyoke City Hall