Historic stained glass windows at Meadow Brook Hall shattered, police search for suspect
The stained glass windows in Meadow Brook Hall's two-story ballroom have withstood time for nearly a century, but on Monday night, an act of vandalism left a set shattered.
Staff discovered the broken glass early Tuesday, according to a news release from Meadow Brook. The Oakland University Police Department is investigating the incident, as the mansion is located on the university's campus in Rochester.
The suspect was seen in security footage kicking one window and using an unknown tool to smash another, the historic house and museum released.
The original stained-glass windows are as old as the mansion itself — 95 years. They were installed when the estate was originally built in 1929 and depict scenes of music, literature, entertainment, and drama.
'This is a very distressing situation for all of us at Meadow Brook Hall — from our staff and dedicated volunteers to the many members of our community who have visited, spent holidays here, gotten married here,' the estate's executive director, Bill Matt, said in the release. 'It is upsetting to anyone who takes pride in having a remarkably beautiful National Historic Landmark in their community."
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The windows were created specifically for the Gothic-inspired ballroom by J. Scott Williams, an artist who died in 1975 at age 98. Designed to be viewed clearly from inside and outside, they are unusual since stained glass is typically best considered only from the inside, according to the estate.
While the damage is significant, Meadow Brook Hall said it had already planned to restore the windows this spring with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, officials said. The windows and casings were recently photographed and sketched in preparation.
A conservator will restore as much of the original material as possible, according to the release. The damaged windows have been removed and plexiglass has been installed instead. The restoration and replacement of all the stained glass windows will proceed on schedule as part of the original plan.
The suspect, whose face was covered, was wearing a maroon hat and a black jacket with a red symbol at the time of the incident. Anyone who can identify the suspect or the jacket's logo is urged to contact the Oakland University Police Department at 248-370-3331 or info@oupolice.com.
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Vandal shatters historic stained glass windows at Meadow Brook Hall
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